Govt decision on labor export criticized
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives has criticized the government's decision to temporarily stop labor exports to Saudi Arabia, saying this policy was not helpful for the national employment program at a time of alarming levels of unemployment.
Ismoe Handoko, a legislator of the ruling Golkar faction in the Commission in charge of labor, among other things, said Friday the decision, announced unexpectedly on Feb. 1, would be devastating to labor as well as to diplomatic ties between the two countries.
"We do not understand why the government has made such a controversial policy," given massive dismissals and a high unemployment rate, he told a hearing with the Association of Indonesian Labor Export Companies (Apjati).
The Ministry of Manpower has temporarily barred labor export companies from recruiting and sending workers to Saudi Arabia in response to the latter's refusal to comply with Indonesia's new ruling on work contracts.
Indonesia has required Saudi Arabian users and labor agencies to get endorsement of work contracts from the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh before workers leave Indonesia in an effort to provide strong protection for the migrants.
The government made the decision in response to protests at cases of torture, rape and underpayment of Indonesian workers in that country.
Saudi Arabia, which considered the Indonesian regulation an intervention in its internal affairs, has refused to comply with it because several users and labor agencies, living far from the Indonesian Embassy, have to make long trips.
Ismoe said labor export was the only alternative to domestic unemployment.
"Unemployment is expected to reach between 35 million and 40 million this April as there are no indications of economic recovery in the near future," he said.
Djusril Djusan of Golkar warned many would seek work by illegal means as a result of banning work overseas. Workers would then be even more vulnerable to abuse, he said.
He added that in 1996 around 24,000 Indonesian workers were deported by Saudi Arabia for abusing the pilgrimage (haj) passport in order to work there.
Apjati Deputy Chairman Abdullah Umar said tens of thousands of workers have been stranded in the dormitories of labor supply firms over the last two months due to the new policy, causing huge losses to the companies.
"Departures for at least 40,000 workers who have been supplied with the required documents to leave for Saudi Arabia have been suspended," he said.
Dozens of companies have lodged complaints with Apjati to protest the delayed departures.
He blamed lack of protection for workers on the absence of bilateral cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
"Right up until the present the two countries have had no agreement or an MOU on protection of Indonesian workers in the country since Indonesian workers employed as domestic helpers in families in that country are not covered by its labor law," he said, citing the fact that the Indonesian workers were under the jurisdiction of Saudi Arabia's interior ministry. (rms)