Ministry urged to improve manpower system<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government should not lift the prohibition on sending semi-
\nskilled workers (TKIs) overseas as long as the manpower ministry
\nis unable to improve its poor delivery system, says a labor
\nexport service association.<\/p>\n
\"If the government is not ready to improve the current
\nprocedure, any decision to send TKIs abroad would be pointless as
\nthe system remains poor,\" the head of the Association of
\nIndonesian Labor Export Suppliers (Himsataki) Yunus Moh. Yamani
\nwas quoted by Antara as saying here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
According to him, in order to improve the system for sending
\nworkers abroad, the government must revamp the Workers Placement
\nService Office (BPPTKI) and manpower offices at the regency
\nlevel.<\/p>\n
The government should also dissolve the special unit at the
\nimmigration office, which issues special passports to overseas
\nworkers, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The passport should be general, so that workers could work
\naround the world freely. The passport should also be issued where
\nworkers hold a citizenship card,\" Yunus said.<\/p>\n
Yunus also urged the government to determine standards for the
\nMinistry of Manpower's Workers Skills Training Center (BLKLN), to
\nimprove its curriculum and to establish an independent monitoring
\nand evaluating team on TKIs.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration must also
\nseriously implement Decree No. 104A\/2002 that obliges labor
\nexporters to renew their master agreement with their overseas
\npartner, according to Yunus.<\/p>\n
It must also ensure that labor exporters protect their workers
\nby providing lawyers in overseas countries where the TKIs work,
\nYunus said.<\/p>\n
\"Without any improvement in these aspects, it would be better
\nfor the government not to send workers abroad to be employed in
\nthe informal sector,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Manpower minister Jacob Nuwa Wea has discontinued the sending
\nof overseas workers that work in the informal sector such as
\ndomestic helpers, baby sitters and care givers for the elderly
\nuntil the middle of March to give labor export companies the
\nopportunity to improve their performance.<\/p>\n
The prohibition was necessary as part of efforts to improve
\nworkers skills, said Jacob.<\/p>\n
The sending of skilled workers overseas is still permitted.<\/p>\n
However, Jacob told reporters recently that his ministry would
\npermit the sending of unskilled workers abroad in mid-March.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, manpower analyst Fachri Thaharuddin said the
\nMinistry of Manpower should focus on BLKLN accreditation and the
\nestablishment of an independent assessment team.<\/p>\n
\"Accreditation is necessary to improve the quality of BLKLN,
\nwhile the independent assessment team will select workers to be
\nsent overseas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yunus also questioned the effectiveness of the suspension of
\nthe sending of unskilled workers abroad, saying that some BPPTKIs
\ncontinued to issue passport recommendations to labor export
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
\"So what is the suspension for actually, if the government
\noffice violates it,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministry-urged-to-improve-manpower-system-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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