Govt not committed to workers: Minister

Govt not committed to workers: Minister

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea admitted
on Wednesday that violence against Indonesian workers overseas
was a result of the government's lack of political will to deal
seriously with labor exports.

"One of the obstacles to making labor exports a success is the
absence of commitment from relevant authorities," the minister
told a hearing with House of Representatives Commission VII for
labor and religious affairs.

Nuwa Wea was bombarded with criticism and questions about the
recent abuse against Indonesian housemaid Nirmala Bonat in Kuala
Lumpur during the session.

The minister said his ministry was not the only department to
blame for glitches in exporting labor.

"Before departing for abroad, workers have to obtain documents
from the local administration where they live, the immigration
office, the foreign ministry, the manpower ministry, labor export
companies and security authorities," he said.

The minister said many workers developed problems in their
workplace because they worked illegally and without vital
preparation, such as job and language training and clear-cut
labor contracts.

"We do appreciate the Malaysian government's good and quick
response to the (latest instance of) labor abuse, which is a good
example for other countries employing Indonesian workers," he
said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi officially apologized
for the abuse and said stern action would be taken against
Nirmala's employer. He also and offered comprehensive medical and
psychiatric treatment for the East Nusa Tenggara resident.

Nuwa Wea insisted that the government could not prevent
violence against Indonesian workers at the hands of foreign
employers but had enhanced cooperation and signed bilateral
agreements with several countries to minimize abuse.

"To provide protection for workers, the government is
appointing several more labor attaches in Kuwait, Hong Kong,
South Korea. It is also proposing bilateral agreements with the
countries," he said.

Indonesia has so far placed labor attaches in Kuala Lumpur and
the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. It signed
bilateral labor agreements with Jordan in 1996, Kuwait in 1996
and Malaysia in 2004.

The minister also urged the President to submit the bill on
labor protection to the House, saying the nation was in urgent
need of legislation that enabled it to take action against labor
exporters that failed to protect the workers they recruited and
sent abroad.

There are more than 1.5 million documented Indonesians migrant
workers employed in various countries, 75 percent of them in the
informal sector. Indonesia has gained US$5.49 billion in foreign
exchange from the workers over the last three years.