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)