Company investigated for confining female workers
JAKARTA (JP): City police are investigating labor exporting company PT Jatim Duta Pembangunan for allegedly confining 276 young women against their will for several months as they waited to be sent to jobs abroad.
Police believe 240 of the women were confined at a three-story Gading Serpong shop-house in Tangerang and the rest in a four- story building on Jl. Daan Mogot in West Jakarta.
The authorities became aware of the case when two of the women confined in Tangerang were severely injured when they tried to escape by jumping from the building. Another women kept in West Jakarta also was hurt on Monday when she tried to jump from an upper floor.
The first two women, who are undergoing treatment at Assobirin Islamic Hospital in Tangerang, were identified as Nikmatul Hasanah, 16, and Haryati, 17. The third, Yeti, is in Sumber Waras Hospital in West Jakarta.
Nikmatul and Hasanah suffered broken legs. Yeti has broken legs and head injuries.
Tangerang Police officials are questioning one of the agency's executives, Marthin, over the firm's alleged inhumane treatment of the women.
"We would like to hear the agency's reasons why the women tried to run away from their shelters," Tangerang Police precinct chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto said.
The other women kept at Jl. Daan Mogot were moved on Tuesday to Jakarta Police Headquarters on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta.
The women were moved after the police received complaints from Yeti's relatives about the shelter's condition.
Carrying suitcases and other possessions, the young women gathered in front of the police detectives' unit. Some of them declined to speak to reporters, but others encouraged their friends to speak up about the ill-treatment.
The young women said they were barred from leaving the shelter, with doors locked from the outside.
"They fed us like ducks and prohibited us from getting close to the windows," said some of the women, who range in age from 16 to 30.
"We were given the same meal every day -- always spinach."
Lutfi was told by the company's branch in her hometown of Brebes, Central Java, that she would be employed as a housemaid in Singapore for a salary of US$240 salary per month.
"The firm never asked for cash from us to stay at the building, but they kept our important documents, including marriage certificates, and if we wanted to get the documents back, we were asked to pay Rp 1 million (US$117) each," the high school graduate said.
Most of the workers admitted they relinquished their documents to the company because the agency said they were needed for processing of passports and other travel documents.
The company also promised they would be sent to Singapore or Malaysia within two months to three months.
It also promised the predeparture period would include training and courses in English. The women said they did receive English lessons for two to three weeks before the courses suddenly ended.
"I've been eight months in the building on Jl. Daan Mogot, but the work never came," Malina from Kupang in Nusa Tenggara Timur said. She said her parents sold a plot of land to finance her departure to the capital.
"The agency took away our freedom and violated our human rights," 16-year-old Lutfi Diah Mayasari said.
Marthin argued: "If they didn't feel at home at the shelter, why did they stay for two or three months? They must have been influenced by our rival companies."
She said her company sent home dozens of workers to Surabaya in East Java, and would send more if they insisted on returning home.
The company has pledged to reimburse the medical expenses of the injured workers.
Asked about the legality of the company, she said she held a license from the Ministry of Manpower.
Tangerang Police will work with the local office of the Ministry of Manpower and the Tangerang administration in its investigation.
"We'll check the validity of the agency's license," Pudji assured. (emf/41)