Surabaya \u2014 There are jobs that take place behind closed doors, far\nfrom the spotlight of offices, factories, or public spaces. These roles\nare carried out by domestic workers who wash, cook, care for children,\nand clean houses, while simultaneously supporting the livelihoods of\nother families.<\/p>\n
When employment relationships transform into situations where workers\nare not free to return home, the issue is no longer merely about labour\nrelations. A case involving a domestic worker placement agency in Gunung\nAnyar, Surabaya, East Java, has exposed a much larger problem.<\/p>\n
Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi and his team visited the location after\nreceiving reports of a worker who was allegedly unable to return home\nbecause they were burdened with a fine of Rp3.5 million. Several other\nworkers were also found at the shelter.<\/p>\n
Subsequent inspections revealed further issues, including the fact\nthat the placement agency\u2019s licensing was still in progress. The Mayor\nhas demanded that all rights of the workers currently at the location be\nfulfilled and ensured that those wishing to return home can safely\nreturn to their home regions. The city government has also ordered\nassistance for workers intending to report the case and has called for\ninspections of other domestic worker agencies in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
This event is significant not merely because of the multi-million\nrupiah fine. The more fundamental question concerns the position of\nworkers within the placement chain: where is the line between placement\nservices and practices that strip workers of their autonomy?<\/p>\n
The story of Siti Cholifah in Gunung Anyar illustrates why this issue\nrequires deeper scrutiny. She found the job through social media\npromotions offering rapid placement and an income of approximately Rp3\nmillion. She was subsequently placed in Bali, but after only about a\nweek, she was instructed to return to the agency because her employment\nthere did not continue.<\/p>\n
This is where the vulnerability of domestic workers becomes apparent.\nMany job seekers come from economic backgrounds in need of immediate\nincome. While they certainly need work, that need must not become a\nweakness in bargaining power that can be exploited by others.<\/p>\n
The model of recruitment via social media makes job searching easier\nbut introduces new challenges. Job offers can spread rapidly, yet\nprospective workers may lack the ability to verify company legality,\nemployer identity, contract terms, costs, termination mechanisms, or\nrights when placements do not go as planned.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the protection of domestic workers cannot be resolved only\nafter problems arise. The government must be present even before workers\nare deployed. Placement agencies should not merely act as\nintermediaries; they bear a greater responsibility to ensure that job\ninformation is accurate, employment relationships are clear, workers\u2019\nrights are known, shelter conditions are decent, and all disputes can be\nresolved without pressure.<\/p>\n
The Gunung Anyar case also demonstrates the importance of monitoring\nshelters. The discovery of stuffy rooms and workers who were ill or\nstruggling to walk shows that protection must go beyond inspecting\ncompany documents. The human condition behind those documents should be\nthe primary measure.<\/p>\n
Law must prevail. Indonesia is entering a new phase of domestic\nworker protection as Law Number 2 of 2026 on the Protection of Domestic\nWorkers is set to take effect on 30 April 2026. This regulation covers\nrecruitment, employment relationships, wages, working hours, social\nsecurity, safe and healthy working environments, agency licensing, and\ndispute resolution mechanisms.<\/p>\n
The passage of this law ends a 22-year wait for a specific legal\numbrella for domestic workers. This means that the protection of\ndomestic workers is no longer merely a moral idea; it has become part of\nthe national legal framework.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/returning-home-should-not-become-a-burden-1790560791", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }