More back-up for RI workers abroad<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesian workers abroad will get more legal protection as the
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR) agreed on Monday to deliberate a
\nbill on the protection of migrant workers.<\/p>\n
At a plenary meeting headed by deputy House speaker Muhaimin
\nIskandar, all nine factions gave support to the bill, which was
\noutlined by the House's Legislation Bureau.<\/p>\n
During the plenary, most of the factions expressed concern
\nover the frequent mistreatment of Indonesian workers by their
\nlocal labor exporters, their employers abroad and by unscrupulous
\nofficials upon their return to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Muhaimin of the National Awakening Party (PKB) remarked that
\nwith the bill, the government should be more serious in dealing
\nwith labor issues, especially problems faced by migrant workers.<\/p>\n
\"We hope this bill will pressurize the government to be more
\nserious in providing protection for workers, including migrant
\nworkers,\" Muhaimin said.<\/p>\n
Spokesman of the Indonesian Military (TNI)\/Police faction
\nMuryono said that legal protection provided by the government now
\nwas not enough, and therefore the bill was needed to protect
\nmigrant workers.<\/p>\n
\"We hope this bill can improve coordination between the
\noffices concerned,\" Muryono added.<\/p>\n
Fellow legislators Rekso Ageng Herman of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction and Mariani
\nAkib Baramuli of the Golkar faction agreed, saying that the bill
\nshould provide better protection for migrant workers.<\/p>\n
The bill would provide protection for migrant workers from the
\ntime of their recruitment by labor exporting agencies to their
\nreturn to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The bill requires that the government ensure the workers are
\ntreated properly, both here in the country and when they are
\nworking abroad.<\/p>\n
The initiative of legislators to propose a bill on migrant
\nworker protection was prompted by the frequent abuse of
\nIndonesians working abroad by either their employers or workers'
\nagents.<\/p>\n
Many Indonesian workers were at the receiving end of physical
\nand sexual abuse, and others were sent home penniless.<\/p>\n
The latest incident was the expulsion of hundreds of thousands
\nof Indonesian illegal workers in Malaysia. Many were stranded in
\nthe border town of Nunukan, East Kalimantan, and dozens died in
\nNunukan or on the way home.<\/p>\n
Currently, the government and legislators are deliberating two
\nbills on the settlement of industrial disputes and on labor
\nprotection. Those two bills, however, provide regulations
\nregarding the relations between workers and their employers in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Deputy House speaker Muhaimin Iskandar said that the bill on
\nthe protection of Indonesian labors working abroad would be
\ndeliberated in the next sitting, due to start on Jan.3.<\/p>\n
\"We have no time to discuss it (the bill) now,\" he said,
\nreferring to the current sitting, which will finish on Nov. 29.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-back-up-for-ri-workers-abroad-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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