New bylaw on maids planned<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The City Council is planning to draft a bylaw to provide legal
\nprotection for domestic helpers, which will stipulate the rights
\nand obligations of both the domestic helpers and their employers.<\/p>\n
Head of the Jakarta Manpower Agency Ali Zubair said on Tuesday
\nthat the bylaw would give detailed rulings on the agreement
\nbetween the domestic helper and the employer, including working
\nhours, holiday, leave, and facilities.<\/p>\n
Ali said that it will also stipulate the necessary facilities
\nfor the employee, such as a bedroom that is well-ventilated, a
\nbathroom, and other things related to health care, Antara
\nreported.<\/p>\n
Ali was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the City
\nCouncil's plenary session which discussed the draft at the
\ncouncil building here.<\/p>\n
Ali, however, said that a minimum wage may not be stipulated
\nin the regulation because usually all daily necessities of the
\nworkers, including meals and accommodation, are provided by the
\nemployers.<\/p>\n
Many domestic helpers work long hours, from early in the
\nmorning until late at night, seven days a week. Their only
\nholidays are during the Idul Fitri holiday. The commonly earn
\nmuch less than the Jakarta monthly minimum wage, which is almost
\nRp 600,000.<\/p>\n
Another thing that will be stipulated in the bylaw is the tax
\non recruitment agencies.<\/p>\n
\"There is a regulation that obliges each recruitment agency to
\npay Rp 500,000 in taxes to the city administration every three
\nyears. But it has not been implemented. We will revise the
\nregulation in accordance with current conditions,\" Ali said.<\/p>\n
Actually, the city administration had issued Bylaw No. 6\/1993
\non the supervision of domestic helpers' welfare in Jakarta. It
\nstipulates that the governor is responsible for overseeing the
\nwelfare of domestic helpers in the city, along with the
\nrecruitment agencies and the employers.<\/p>\n
However, the bylaw is not properly implemented.<\/p>\n
Activists earlier said that the job of a maid was classified
\nas informal work, which tended to be ignored both by most people
\nand the government. There were only a few abuse cases of
\nhousemaids which were taken to court, but the victims tended to
\nlose out as the evidence and witnesses were often stacked in
\nfavor of the employers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-bylaw-on-maids-planned-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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