Maid life not an easy option for village girls
By Rosa Widyawan
JAKARTA (JP): Housemaids are critical in a household in which both the husband and wife work. Child care, the management of daily expenses, gardening and dish washing are just a handful of the matters handled by housemaids.
Most housemaids in Jakarta are from cities in Central Java like Brebes, Magelang, Purwodadi and Surakarta. Economic hardships and the lack of job opportunities for women in villages drive them to migrate to Jakarta in search of survival alternatives. However, while doing domestic work is not an ideal job for many of the women, it is difficult for them to find proper jobs without the right skills and educational background.
"I applied for a job in a garment factory in my hometown, but they rejected my application because I couldn't sew. My dad asked me to learn how to sew," said Darmi (not her real name). "I wanna be a tailor and am still learning to sew ... If I work as a housemaid I cannot develop myself and it is monotonous. If somebody asks me what my job is, I get embarrassed. My friends work in factories and they seem proud and happy."
Most of the women have only finished elementary school as poverty forced many of them to go to work for landlords at an early age.
"People in villages have a hard life. There are droughts and many difficulties. Most of my people go to Jakarta, Semarang and Yogyakarta. Otherwise, we will die of hunger," said Sriatun (not her real name), who went to Jakarta three years ago.
She recalled that in her village, people returning from Jakarta looked healthy and rich, wearing beautiful dresses, bracelets and necklaces. "I really wanted to go to Jakarta...I couldn't do anything in my village. People said that in Jakarta people can do many things to earn a lot of money. My cousin told me to go to Jakarta with her and my parent agreed."
New housemaids go to Jakarta with their friends, relatives or with agencies that provide clients with housemaids. Many of the girls live for free with the agency owners until they can find work. The agencies use the time to train them how to use microwave ovens, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and other appliances. The girls have to reimburse the agencies for their accommodation expenses when they get jobs. The agencies also charge the families when they hire a housemaid.
Quite often housemaids do not feel at home in their new environs. After a couple of months many think about quitting, even if they're earning a decent wage. Problems tend to arise with the families, how to address family members and what is the right behavior. More importantly, it is not easy to earn their bosses' trust. There have been cases when housemaids have been put out of their houses or kept locked inside when the owners go out.
Communication with other housemaids is important because many feel uncomfortable only associating with members of the family. With their colleagues they can share information and common work experiences as well as stories about their hometown friends and relatives.
A group of housemaids in South Jakarta holds an arisan (a social gathering where participants contribute to and take turns winning an aggregate sum of money) with friends once a month. Each member contributes Rp 5,000 (about US$2) and the winner of the pool generally sends the winnings back home.
Generally, employers do not obstruct their housemaids religious practices, but they sometimes complain.
The profession is unique here in that salaries have yet to be standardized. Salaries vary, depending on the location and the environment in which they work. In luxury housing complexes, maids can earn more than Rp 250,000 per month. In ordinary complexes, they often receive less than Rp 100,000 per month.
There are no fixed working hours. Many work more than 12 hours a day, taking breaks only to have lunch and dinner. But when their employers are at work, many enjoy watching television, listening to the radio, singing karaoke or chatting with other housemaids in the neighborhood.
Limited educations and skills as well as a poor knowledge of urban values and personal rights leave housemaids in a weak position. Employers can fire their maids at any time without prior notice, and many are also victims of abuse.