Govt told to speed up domestic workers law

A labor activist reiterated on Tuesday the importance of a law to protect domestic workers and urged the House of Representatives to speed up deliberation.

Lita Anggraini, coordinator of the National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy (Jala PRT), said the law was badly needed to prevent systematic violation of domestic workers' rights.

In the latest case, Fitrianingsih, 19, and Sipora Sanam, 23, escaped from a house on Jl. José Rizal in Medan, North Sumatra, after being beaten by their employers,.

The two domestic workers from Nganjuk, East Java, and Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, had been working for 15 and 10 months, at the house, but had not been paid, Lita said.

"This constitutes a violation against human rights and the rights of the domestic workers," Lita said. "It is also a criminal offense."

Jala PRT data shows over 650 such cases between 2011 and 2012. (fan)