RI requests better conditions for migrant workers abroad

RI requests better conditions for migrant workers abroad

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Makassar

In a bid to increase its bargaining power with Malaysia over the
labor issue, Indonesia has asked for welfare guarantees for those
of its workers employed legally in the neighboring country.

Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla said on
Wednesday that the government would establish welfare benchmarks
before sending workers to Malaysia.

"We will set benchmarks for workers' welfare, including
salaries. If the standards are not met, we'd be better off
pulling out our workers," Yusuf said after a Cabinet meeting
presided over by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"We have decided to take the offensive in handling the migrant
worker issue as the workers are not the problem but rather the
solution (to unemployment). While there may indeed be some
problems in sending them, they have nevertheless helped the
nation by reducing unemployment, so they deserve to be treated
properly."

He said that during bilateral talks on the labor issue held on
Sept. 25 in Kinabalu City, the Indonesian government would ask
Malaysian companies wishing to employ Indonesians to comply with
the minimum requirements.

The government would also propose improvements in the workers'
well-being, particularly regarding housing and education for the
workers' children.

Both countries are expected to approve a Memorandum of
Understanding on migrant workers on that date after having failed
to reach an agreement during the summit between President
Megawati and Malaysian President Mahathir Mohamad in July, just
before Kuala Lumpur put its stringent new Immigration Act into
effect.

An exodus of hundreds of thousands of Indonesian undocumented
workers followed. Most of them streamed into Nunukan, which
borders the Malaysian state of Sabah, sparking a human tragedy as
the returning workers lacked food and shelter. Over 70 people
died from various diseases during the exodus.

The government has come under fire for its sluggishness in
addressing the issue, especially given the fact that Malaysia had
announced its plan to enforce the new Immigration Act early this
year. The government is also widely considered as having been
tardy in helping the deported workers.

On Tuesday, Malaysia announced its approval of 500,000 work
permits for its construction sector, which has been crippled
following the mass exodus. Most of the jobs in the sector were
formerly filled by Indonesian workers.

Previously, Malaysia had restricted Indonesians to working as
domestic helpers and in the plantation sectors.

In Makassar, the South Sulawesi manpower and transmigration
office announced a moratorium on labor exports to Malaysia,
pending the results of bilateral talks between Jakarta and Kuala
Lumpur later this month.

Deputy chief of the office, Syahrir Tadjuddin, told The
Jakarta Post the move had been made at the request of Minister of
Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea, who listed South
Sulawesi as being among the eight provinces banned from sending
workers to Malaysia.

"We decided to stop labor exports indefinitely to prevent any
problems the workers may face in the future," Syahrir said.

Migrant workers hailing from the province accounted for
140,000 of the some 400,000 Indonesian undocumented workers in
Malaysia. About 40,000 South Sulawesi workers have returned home,
while the rest have already returned to Malaysia or are in the
process of doing so.

There are about 20 labor export companies operating in South
Sulawesi.