Maids need protecting<\/p>\n
The Straits Times
\nAsia News Network
\nSingapore<\/p>\n
For as long as the Manpower Ministry is reluctant to impose
\ncontractual obligations in the hiring of foreign maids, more
\npartisan schemes will rush in to fill the void. The Indonesian
\nEmbassy is the latest to join the fray. An estimated 50,000
\nIndonesian maids work here, so it is perfectly normal for the
\nembassy to want the best deal for its nationals. Safety is a
\nfactor too, on account of physical abuse and maids falling from a
\nheight.<\/p>\n
Occurrences in both categories are frequent enough not to be
\ntreated as aberrations, or worse, to be regarded as occupational
\nhazards. The embassy now wants hirers of Indonesian maids to sign
\nan employment agreement guaranteeing their welfare -- at a cost
\nof S$260 -- but without making clear how and whether violators
\ncan be dealt with.<\/p>\n
To ensure maid agencies do not treat maids as chattels (which
\ntoo many unsavory agencies do), the embassy will also accredit
\nthe reputable ones for an annual fee of $240. It is reported
\nIndonesia's labor and immigration departments have been
\ninstructed to deal only with accredited ones, set at about a
\nquarter of the 600 to 700 licensed here.<\/p>\n
The cut-off point seems arbitrary, and how can the embassy
\ntell which to avoid? The inherent weakness of using accreditation
\nas a market sieve is clear. If the Indonesian end and its
\nregulatory agencies can be counted upon to observe the list
\nscrupulously, fly-by-night outfits will deservedly go out of
\nbusiness if the Philippines and Sri Lanka join in. If this is not
\nassured, the accredited status will not be worth the paper it is
\nprinted on. Accreditation will just atrophy for lack of what it
\nneeds most to survive -- honor and demonstrated quality.<\/p>\n
The intention of the Indonesian plan is praiseworthy and is to
\nbe welcome. It is to accord human decency and to demand minimum
\nlabor standards in a largely unregulated service which has seen
\nabuse by disreputable maid agents (and their associate agents in
\nsource countries) and some incredibly sadistic employers. Some
\nstaple clauses of the employment agreement -- weekly day off,
\nthree square meals a day, annual leave, paid home passage -- are
\nthe minimum that could be asked for.<\/p>\n
Incredibly, there are households which do not offer these in
\nfull. Most maids, bar the more assertive Filipinos, do not get a
\nweekly rest day. It will be a blow to one's notions of decency if
\nthe Indonesian plan, which we believe is motivated by a wish to
\ngive maids much-needed protection, were to end up looking like
\nrent-seeking.<\/p>\n
There are already two accreditation schemes for agencies
\nsanctioned by the Manpower Ministry. This manner of regulation
\nand audit which will be made mandatory from June next year is a
\nuseful means of measuring reliability in a business that attracts
\nits share of slave-drivers and unconscionable exploiters of young
\ngirls. Even this program is not having a smooth genesis.<\/p>\n
The Consumers Association of Singapore's CaseTrust scheme has
\nhad few agents signing on because its fees are considered steep
\n(they have been reduced). A cheaper rival plan run by the
\nAssociation of Employment Agencies of Singapore has just been
\napproved.<\/p>\n
It is not time yet to judge if these programs, or compulsory
\norientation for maid employers, could make up for the lack of
\nservice contracts with the force of law. For many years, foreign
\nembassies have been used by their nationals as reporting points
\nfor maid abuse. Singaporean volunteer groups devoted to maid
\nwelfare, such as The Working Committee 2, remain vigilant.
\nClearly, the golden mean for maid protection is still elusive.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/maids-need-protecting-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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