Women workers remain subject to exploitation

Women workers remain subject to exploitation

JAKARTA (JP): Despite some progress, women workers in the
textile, garment and footwear factories are still subject to
exploitation by their employers, according to a labor survey.

The survey of 300 workers in Jakarta and West Java was
conducted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS). Eighty five percent of the respondents were taken from
large-scale companies and the rest from small-and middle sized
firms.

Its results were presented by Mari Pangestu and Medelina K.
Hendityo in a seminar yesterday.

The survey found that most women workers in the labor-
intensive sector are still denied their rights to monthly
menstrual leave, maternity leave and annual leave.

They do not get fair overtime payment or annual bonuses, which
are all guaranteed in the labor law and government regulations,
the survey shows.

Of the 300 respondents, 62 percent are not allowed to take the
two-day menstrual leave, 56 percent do not receive the annual
bonus, 40 percent are forced to work overtime, 27 percent do not
get annual leave and around 60 percent do not receive fair
overtime payment.

In addition 94 percent do not have basic facilities, such as a
place to rest or to breast-feed their children at their
workplace.

The laws allow workers to take 12 days holiday a year, a two-
day menstrual leave every month and three months maternity leave.
They are also entitled to an annual bonus amounting to one
month's salary.

Medelina said there are many cases in the sectors where women
workers are dismissed after they become pregnant, take menstrual
leave or get married.

A ministerial decree of 1989 states that women workers are
free to, or not to, work overtime and disallows employers to
dismiss workers simply because they get married or pregnant.

Medelina said that 77 percent of the respondents have been
made to work overtime and 40 percent forced to work more than 12
hours overtime a week.

"More than a half of the respondents say their management make
working overtime obligatory," she said.

The survey found that although they have facilities such as
toilets, clean water and medicines, most companies do not have
adequate labor-safety facilities vital in case of an emergency.
Most are not trained to cope with emergency situations.

"Only 17 percent of the respondents have undergone training to
escape from fire while 64 percent have been provided with safety
equipment but have rarely used it," she said.

The survey also indicated that 80 percent of respondents have
health problems, suffering particularly from headache and
fatigue, that have to do with the poor environment of their
workplaces.

Medelina said that a large number of the respondents have yet
to learn the labor law and government regulations. "Forty percent
know only about the government regulation on daily minimum wages.
Nevertheless, most larger scale companies have respected their
workers' rights better."

The survey found the All Indonesian Workers Union Federation
ineffective in representing workers fighting for their rights.

She said 60 percent of respondents said that union units have
been set up in their workplaces and 85 of them have joined the
labor union but half of them said the union does not change their
fate.

"Fifty six percent of respondents said they have made a
collective agreement with their employers but 28 percent of them
do not know its content in detail," she said.

Medelina said that according to the survey, most workers
employed in big companies in the sector have been paid in
accordance with the government regulations. (rms)