Govt revokes licenses of 13 labor exporting firms
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration revoked the operating licenses on Wednesday of 13 labor exporting companies for failing to protect Indonesian migrant workers and to meet administrative requirements.
Director General of Overseas Labor Placement Soeramsihono said here that some of the companies had tried to persuade manpower minister Jacob Nuwa Wea to reconsider his decision to revoke their licenses.
Soeramsihono said the policy stood and refused to identify the companies involved in the persuasion attempt.
The labor exporters found guilty of violating the labor regulations are PT Heron Olira, PT Mega Untaian Sajaha, PT Alam Permai Indonesia, PT Savir Piramida Internasional, PT Api Mantra Insan Utama, PT Srivan Jaya Abadi, PT Yosa Mitera Mandiri, PT Abu Nikmah, PT Sejahtera Utama, PT Samudra Indonesia, PT Lita Karya Bersama, PT Al Hikmah Jaya Bakti and PT Dwipa Haritama. The last four were not allowed to operate any longer because their addresses had not been stated clearly enough.
Soeramsihono was quoted by Antara as saying that the ministry had also withdrawn its cooperation with six labor insurance consortiums. He did not reveal the reasons for the ministry's decision to part company with PT Asuransi Anugerah Bersama, PT Asuransi Beringin Sejahtera Artamakmur, PT General Insurance, PT Asuransi Jiwa Elite, PT Asuransi Purna Arthanugraha and PT Asuransi Bina Griya Upakara.
The ministry has so far registered 413 labor export companies and has revived the operation of nine labor insurance companies.
Soeramsihono disclosed that 109 Indonesian migrant workers had died during 2001, with 65 more in the first five months of this year alone.
He said the figure could increase on a year-on-year basis if no improvement was made to labor conditions.
Most of the incidents that claimed the lives of migrant workers took place in Saudi Arabia (17), followed by Singapore (11) and Kuwait (11).
The ministry found that accidents were the primary cause of death.