Night club hostesses lack labor right
Night club hostesses lack labor right
JAKARTA (JP): They may seem well dressed, joyful, friendly and very hospitable, and they may earn a lot, but night club hostesses and other women working at the city's burgeoning night entertainment places are among the least protected workers.
A recent survey by the University of Indonesia on the condition of workers at 200 night clubs, massage parlors, karaoke bars, discotheques, billiard centers and amusement centers found a stark contrast to the glitter of their working surroundings.
In virtually all cases, the workers have weak bargaining positions vis-a-vis their employers, according to the result of the survey which was discussed at a seminar on Tuesday.
"There is no clear working contract or clear salary scheme," Aslam Sumhudi, head of the survey team, told the seminar about one of the disadvantages of working at such places.
Most of the workers are paid based on a percentage of what their clients pay, and they earn nothing on the nights that they have no clients, he pointed out.
About the only bargaining chips they have is that some of the hostesses or dancers may become popular among patrons and if they leave some clubs suffer, or even close down, Aslam said.
Their weak position is partly attributed to the nature of their profession, according to the researchers and experts taking part in the debate.
Because their profession is still looked down at by society, these workers never stay in one place for long, moving from one club to another, or even from one town to another, in order to hide their profession from relatives and friends.
For club owners, the high turnover of staff often works to their advantage because they also need to keep reinvigorating their staff with younger employees.
"Guests (also) prefer new and fresh hostesses," Sarlito W. Sarwono, a professor of psychology from the University, said.
A representative of the Jakarta City Administration, however, gave his assurances that the authorities would do all they can to ensure that these workers enjoy the same protection accorded to other professions and workers.
"Workers in entertainment and recreation businesses are entitled to similar protection, including on minimum wages," Gindo S. Sitorus, the head of the Social Bureau said.
The survey found that, overall, the welfare of these workers lags behind not only that of workers in other professions, but also behind the standard set by the City Administration. Although their salaries, averaging Rp 150,000 a month, is relatively higher, they do not get any perks.
Sarlito said one of the difficulties for the authorities in handling these workers is because many of them try to hide their profession. "Most of these women are villagers and they lie to their families back home about their jobs, sometimes saying they work as shopkeepers," Sarlito said.
The research recommends a number of steps for the city administration.
One is to increase surveillance of the entertainment spots, another to make the workers aware of their legal rights and another recommends punishing employers that continue to deny their employees their rights. (yns)