Govt to issue decree to protect TKIs
Govt to issue decree to protect TKIs
Ridwan Max Sijabat and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
While preparing a labor protection law, the government will
immediately issue a decree to provide legal protection for two
million Indonesian workers overseas (TKIs).
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said
here on Friday the decree, which will be jointly signed by four
ministers and a director general, would lay the groundwork for
the formation of an advocacy group and the issuance of "special
passports" for overseas workers.
The new decree, which will replace one issued in 1995, will be
jointly signed by Nuwa Wea, foreign minister Hassan Wirayudha,
religious affairs minister Said Aqil Al Munawar, State Minister
for Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Sumarwoto and Director
General for Immigration Muhammad Indra.
"For the time being, the five senior government officials will
set up five advocacy teams consisting of government officials and
lawyers. They will focus their work in Saudi Arabia where many
Indonesians have had troubles and been abused. Also, the
immigration directorate general has agreed to issue special
passports (for overseas workers) that will be valid for three
years," Nuwa Wea said following a coordination meeting on labor
export presided over by Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare Jusuf Kalla.
The government is taking these measures in response to public
criticism and outrage over the abuse of Indonesian migrant
workers, particularly those employed in the Middle East.
However, these new measures do not address the abuse the
workers face at home, from the moment they leave their home
villages to the time they step off the plane on their return to
Indonesia.
Many migrant workers have been physically abused, dismissed
without severance pay and extorted, both while overseas and here
at home. The workers often make easy prey because they lack the
education and experience to protect themselves from abuse.
Ministerial Decree No. 104A on labor exports requires labor
exporters to provide just a month of training in practical skills
and foreign languages before placing workers overseas.
Nuwa Wea said the new labor protection bill would outline
standard labor recruitment procedures and harsher punishments for
labor exporters that fail to protect workers they send overseas.
The bill is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next
year.
Meanwhile, several activists urged the government to sign
bilateral agreements with foreign countries to provide legal
protection for Indonesian workers.
Agus Pambagio of the Visi Anak Bangsa Foundation said the
government should issue a government regulation in lieu of law to
revamp labor export procedures. He said the regulation should
cover labor contracts and industrial rules, particularly on
remuneration, overtime pay, annual vacation, insurance and
workers' access to relatives.
In a dialog with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) faction at the House of Representatives, Agus,
who was accompanied by University of Indonesia lecturer Imam
Prasodjo and Wahyu Susilo of the Consortium for Legal Aid for
Migrant Workers, said the House should press the government to
issue a regulation in lieu of law to help provide protection for
migrant workers until a law was passed.
Wahyu said the government's new measures would be ineffective
to curb the violence against migrant workers since it has issued
many others in the past.
"Like the terrorism issue, the labor export is an emergency
situation for which the government should immediately make a
perpu," he said.
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung also supported the idea to insert
migrant workers' rights in the bill to prevent them from being
abused during the employment overseas.
Ridwan Max Sijabat and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
While preparing a labor protection law, the government will
immediately issue a decree to provide legal protection for two
million Indonesian workers overseas (TKIs).
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said
here on Friday the decree, which will be jointly signed by four
ministers and a director general, would lay the groundwork for
the formation of an advocacy group and the issuance of "special
passports" for overseas workers.
The new decree, which will replace one issued in 1995, will be
jointly signed by Nuwa Wea, foreign minister Hassan Wirayudha,
religious affairs minister Said Aqil Al Munawar, State Minister
for Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Sumarwoto and Director
General for Immigration Muhammad Indra.
"For the time being, the five senior government officials will
set up five advocacy teams consisting of government officials and
lawyers. They will focus their work in Saudi Arabia where many
Indonesians have had troubles and been abused. Also, the
immigration directorate general has agreed to issue special
passports (for overseas workers) that will be valid for three
years," Nuwa Wea said following a coordination meeting on labor
export presided over by Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare Jusuf Kalla.
The government is taking these measures in response to public
criticism and outrage over the abuse of Indonesian migrant
workers, particularly those employed in the Middle East.
However, these new measures do not address the abuse the
workers face at home, from the moment they leave their home
villages to the time they step off the plane on their return to
Indonesia.
Many migrant workers have been physically abused, dismissed
without severance pay and extorted, both while overseas and here
at home. The workers often make easy prey because they lack the
education and experience to protect themselves from abuse.
Ministerial Decree No. 104A on labor exports requires labor
exporters to provide just a month of training in practical skills
and foreign languages before placing workers overseas.
Nuwa Wea said the new labor protection bill would outline
standard labor recruitment procedures and harsher punishments for
labor exporters that fail to protect workers they send overseas.
The bill is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next
year.
Meanwhile, several activists urged the government to sign
bilateral agreements with foreign countries to provide legal
protection for Indonesian workers.
Agus Pambagio of the Visi Anak Bangsa Foundation said the
government should issue a government regulation in lieu of law to
revamp labor export procedures. He said the regulation should
cover labor contracts and industrial rules, particularly on
remuneration, overtime pay, annual vacation, insurance and
workers' access to relatives.
In a dialog with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) faction at the House of Representatives, Agus,
who was accompanied by University of Indonesia lecturer Imam
Prasodjo and Wahyu Susilo of the Consortium for Legal Aid for
Migrant Workers, said the House should press the government to
issue a regulation in lieu of law to help provide protection for
migrant workers until a law was passed.
Wahyu said the government's new measures would be ineffective
to curb the violence against migrant workers since it has issued
many others in the past.
"Like the terrorism issue, the labor export is an emergency
situation for which the government should immediately make a
perpu," he said.
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung also supported the idea to insert
migrant workers' rights in the bill to prevent them from being
abused during the employment overseas.