Raw deal

From Republika

I am one of the 2,000 Indonesian workers hopeful to depart to South Korea. I deposited the Rp. 1,100,000 application fee and attended training at PT Binawan Group's overseas workers' training center in Cianjur, West Java in July, 1994.

Since then only 600 workers have been sent to South Korea. That is after complaining to many institutes like the local legislative council, the National Commission on Human Rights, the press and the local Ministry of Manpower office. The remaining 1,400 are living in minimal conditions without any guarantee when our working visas, as promised by PT Binawan Group, will be delivered.

Statements by the head of PT Binawan quoted by the media, saying the problems have been resolved and that they have received thousands of job orders from South Korea, hurt me. More ironic, PT Binawan is still accepting applications.

PT Binawan Group has also disobeyed the agreement made in front of the National Commission on Human Rights and Cianjur office of Ministry of Manpower. PT Binawan Group has only given half the application fee back to those who have quit. PT Binawan Group should give back the full amount because their unprofessional and disrespectful acts caused the problems.

PT Binawan Group didn't give clear and correct information about the job orders, working visas and other information needed or the rights of each applicants.

Applicants that complain or seek answers are dropped from the program. They are viewed as giving the company a bad name.

I await a solution from those who have the power to relieve our misery.

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