Manpower agency passive as jobseekers are abused

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Sofiah, 35, from Tanjung Sari village in Kentung Gemar district of Sukabumi, West Java, had a big dream: to earn a large salary working as a housemaid in the Middle East.

The mother of two children got the full support of her farmer husband, Eman, who later sold their land so that they could pay Rp 3.5 million to her "sponsor", who promised her a job in Kuwait earning between Rp 3 million and Rp 4 million a month.

In April, she was sent to a job training center belonging to PT Adi Santa Kencana Mas, a recruitment agency on Jl. Iskandar Muda in Neglasari district, Tangerang. She was told that she would need training before she was sent abroad.

However, nine months later, she has not received any training and she is still there.

Eman, 45, went to the center last weekend to bring his wife back home because her mother was seriously ill.

"The job training center told me to pay Rp 2 million as compensation, but I have no more money. I sold my land to send my wife to this training center," he told The Jakarta Post.

He added that he had been to the center four times since October to take his wife home but was unsuccessful each time.

Sofiah, along with some 300 people, mostly women, are locked in the building. Meals are provided twice a day, but there is no breakfast.

Worse, the women claim that the company's security guards sexually harass them.

"They frequently touch or fondle parts of my body. I hate this," Rohana, 22, said.

Rohana, who has been held at the training center since July, said she was interested in working overseas because she could not find a job after graduating from senior high school four years ago.

She had paid out Rp 3 million and was promised a job in the Middle East with a monthly salary of between Rp 3 million and Rp 5 million.

Earlier this month, about 100 residents of Kresek district in Tangerang attacked the job training center and released about 50 women.

The police named four villagers as suspects in the attack, but no legal action has been taken against the training center's management.

On Friday, several legislators of the House of Representatives' Commission II for home and legal affairs visited the training center.

Didik Suprianto of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, said the center had to be closed down since it had violated the jobseekers' rights.

He also said his commission had received data from the Tangerang council, which said that Kuwait would return 11 migrant workers sent by PT Adi Santa Kencana Mas, due to a lack of skills.

The chief of the Tangerang Manpower Agency Adang Turwana said that his office had done nothing to help the jobseekers.

"We have no idea what to do for some 300 would-be migrant workers at the training center and therefore we need to coordinate with the ministry office," he told the Post on Monday.

In November, he said, the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration revoked the permit issued to PT Adi Santa as a supplier of migrant workers.

"I know the permit was revoked by the ministry but we have not received a copy of the revocation yet," he said.

He added that the company owner, Jimmy Chadra, had filed a lawsuit against the ministry at the Jakarta State Administrative Court.