RI stops export of informal workers<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government has suspended the export of migrant
\nworkers with jobs in the informal sector in all designated
\ncountries citing the workers' incompetence and language barriers.<\/p>\n
In his letter dated Feb. 10 sent to all governors, regents,
\nmayors, the Association of Indonesian Labor Export Companies and
\nall its members, as well as the Migrant Workers Placement Service
\nBody, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said
\nthe decision was made after "a thorough analysis" that the
\ncountry's migrant workers for informal jobs, such as housemaids,
\nwere both unskilled and unable to master languages in the
\ncountries they were placed.<\/p>\n
"These (shortcomings) happen because most labor export firms
\nhave not provided enough job and language training before they
\nsend the workers," Jacob said in his letter.<\/p>\n
Jacob categorized informal migrant workers into housemaids,
\nbaby sitters and caregivers for the elderly.<\/p>\n
Any migrant workers who have completed all requirements for
\nplacement before Feb. 1 are exempted from the suspension, but
\ntheir departure must take place before Feb. 28.<\/p>\n
There are around 4 million Indonesians working overseas,
\nmostly in the informal sector. Indonesia has been exporting
\ninformal migrant workers to the Middle East and Asia-Pacific
\nregions for decades.<\/p>\n
The manpower ministry had issued on Feb. 1 a circular to all
\nlabor export companies, ordering them to stop sending workers to
\nthe Middle East due to the escalating tension in Iraq.<\/p>\n
Jacob said in his latest letter that the country's informal
\nmigrant workers were "psychologically immature" and lacked
\nknowledge of local cultures and conditions of their prospective
\nwork places.<\/p>\n
The minister said those problems greatly contributed to the
\nhigh number of fatal accidents involving Indonesian informal
\nmigrant workers. The ministry data showed that at least 75
\nIndonesian housemaids had fallen to death from their employers'
\napartments in Singapore since 1999.<\/p>\n
"Based on these facts, the ministry has made a decision not to
\nfocus on quantity but quality of migrant workers to be sent to
\noverseas," Jacob said.<\/p>\n
In the future, the ministry will apply a quota policy on each
\nlabor export agency, in a bid to prevent over-supply in the
\nplacement of workers overseas.<\/p>\n
Jacob said during the suspension period, all labor import
\ncompanies were required to provide job and language training, as
\nwell as religious teaching appropriate for each culture.<\/p>\n
The suspension has sparked protests from the association of
\nlabor export companies (Apjati), which accused the government of
\nshifting the blame and seeking a scapegoat for the long-standing
\nproblems facing the country's migrant workers.<\/p>\n
Apjati chairman Husein Alaydrus said labor export companies
\nwere not obliged to provide training for prospective migrant
\nworkers in the first place but simply to send them overseas.<\/p>\n
He said the licenses obtained by the companies allowed them to
\nplace migrant workers, whereas the responsibility to improve the
\nquality of migrant workers was given to companies other than
\nApjati members.<\/p>\n
"The responsibility to improve skills and language proficiency
\nof migrant workers is held by a special institution known as
\noverseas employment training agencies which are authorized by the
\nDirectorate General of Domestic Labor Placement," Husein said.<\/p>\n
He said some Apjati members also operate training agencies but
\nit did not mean that the labor export companies could be held
\nresponsible for the poor quality of the migrant workers.<\/p>\n
The ministerial decree No. 104A\/2002 issued by Jacob last year
\nmakes it clear that labor export companies are not responsible
\nfor training for prospective migrant workers. Training courses
\nare not a requirement to obtain a license to start a labor export
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
Husein suggested that during the period of suspension, the
\nmanpower ministry should improve the mechanism to accredit
\nmigrant workers' training providers.<\/p>\n
"If the improvement is not done, the suspension will mean
\nnothing," Husein said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-stops-export-of-informal-workers-1447893297",
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