New rulings protect workers

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said on Wednesday that his office and the House of Representatives were preparing several new rulings on workers' protection.

The minister said that in the new rulings employers were required to include their employees in the social security scheme arranged by state-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek or face a maximum punishment of five years in jail or pay a fine of as much as Rp 500 million.

Jacob said the new rulings also set out the system for sending Indonesian workers abroad.

"There will be one independent body, comprising representatives of nine ministries, which will take care of the recruitment process of our migrant workers so there will be no scalpers anymore," he said.

Jacob added that currently his office was examining the feasibility of 421 labor agents. "Just wait for and see the results. If they cannot meet our requirements, they will be kicked out," he said.

One of the requirements is that an agent must have certified training skills in order to be able to build the migrant workers' competence for the required jobs in the host countries. --JP