RI-S'pore agreement on labor

RI-S'pore agreement on labor

SINGAPORE: Indonesia and Singapore would sign a new agreement
to protect Indonesian workers, mostly serving as maids in the
neighboring city state, an Indonesian diplomat said.

Unlike the previous agreement, the new accord document would
be written in two languages -- Indonesian and English, said
Renvyanis Gazali, the diplomat dealing with labor affairs at the
Indonesian Embassy in Singapore.

He said that with the new agreement, Indonesian workers were
expected to understand the document and be able to carry out
their duties properly as well as resolve possible disputes with
their bosses.

"So far, they have just signed it without knowing the material
content of the agreement," Gazali said on Monday.

He said that if a dispute occurred between an Indonesian
worker and their employer, they could settle it on the basis of
the new agreement.

Gazali said the cases of labor disputes against Indonesian
maids working in Singapore were frequently due to
misunderstandings with their bosses. -- Antara