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NGOs praise regulation on domestic worker protection
A group of NGOs focusing on the rights of domestic workers in Indonesia praised Manpower Minister M
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group of NGOs focusing on the rights of domestic workers in Indonesia praised Manpower Minister M. Hanif Dhakiri's announcement on Sunday to issue Manpower Ministerial Regulation (Permenaker) No.2/2015 on the protection of domestic workers.
'We appreciate the goodwill of the government, in this regard the Manpower Ministry, to protect the rights of domestic workers in Indonesia through the issuance of Permenaker No.2 on the protection of domestic workers, signed on Jan. 18,' National Network for Domestic Worker Advocacy (Jala PRT) executive director Lita Anggraini said on Monday.
She said the Permenaker could become a precondition to the issuance of a domestic worker protection law. The draft bill on the protection of domestic workers is still being processed at the House of Representatives' Legislation Body (Baleg) and has become one draft bill prioritized in the House's 2015 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).
'Jala PRT will introduce the content of the draft law to the public through activities and monitor them via our colleagues and domestic workers organized by the network. We will begin these efforts by first introducing the need for a work agreement, which should include the arrangement of wage plans that are not regulated in the Permenaker and social protection plans or employment security plans for domestic workers,' Lita said.
'Parallel to these efforts, we will strengthen reviews on the content and strength of the Permenaker to heighten efforts to pass the domestic worker protection draft bill into law and the ratification of the 189th International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention concerning decent work for domestic workers,' she went on.
Lita added that concerning the fact that the Permenaker No.2 was not legally binding and carried less weight than existing laws, the passing of the domestic worker protection draft bill should remain a primary aim.
'Therefore, Jala PRT is also urging the government, in this regard the Manpower Ministry, to take pro-active measures in the legislative process of the domestic worker protection draft bill and the ratification of ILO Convention 189 to create better protection for domestic workers both in Indonesia and abroad,' said Lita. (ebf)(++++)
