RI migrant workers neglected

RI migrant workers neglected

JAKARTA: The government was criticized on Tuesday for its sluggishness in handling the many problems faced by Indonesian workers overseas.

The former chairman of the Association of Indonesian Workers' Exporters (Apjati), Abdullah Umar, said many mistreated workers forced to seek temporary shelter at the Indonesian embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah, for example, were badly in need of protection funds.

Abdullah said the funds were already there to help deal with the problems.

"But the government is slow in setting up the crisis center to settle the workers' problems in line with a joint agreement signed by five Indonesian ministers," he said.

Apjati has managed to gather at least Rp 3.4 billion (US$3.2 million) in protection funds, which have been collected at $11 per worker per month since October, 2001, he said.

Abdullah questioned the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration's resolve to deal with the problem. "The workers cannot wait much longer as they need food and their cases dealt with quickly," he said.

Labor exporting companies, especially those sending workers to Saudi Arabia, had collected the $11 fund from each worker per month as a protection fund levy from wages. Those working in the informal sector, particularly housemaids, were a priority, Abdullah said. -- Antara