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'Indonesia is not ready': Millions of domestic workers have no protection
Some employers treat their domestic workers well but domestic workers, estimated at some 2.6 million as of 2011, should be able to rely on a law that protects them, says an activist.
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A domestic worker washes dishes in the kitchen of a house in Jakarta on July 10. The latest data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in 2011 revealed there were 2.6 million domestic workers in Indonesia. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
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very day, working mother Loecia Nhadilah and her husband get help from two domestic workers who live with them in East Jakarta. One focuses on doing domestic chores, like cleaning up the house and washing and ironing clothes, while the other one is tasked with focusing only on taking care of their toddler, Charista.
Loecia, herself an employee in a private company, knows more than enough about a comfortable working environment and the balance between rights and responsibilities.
“Fifteen minutes before I leave the house for work, the nanny should be ready to take care of Charista until I get home. She should never lose sight of my daughter and feed her. Make sure the gadget we use for communicating is always contactable,” she recently told The Jakarta Post.
“Both of them should maintain the cleanliness of the house, my kid’s and themselves, especially their hands, hair and feet. At night, I will ask the nanny to report to me what my daughter has been doing while I’m away,” the 27-year-old added.
There are some more basic rules that her workers must follow, such as not to informing their friends of the house address, and not stealing or lying.
With such demanding jobs, Loecia sets a reasonable monthly salary for them which ranges from Rp 2.5 million (US$177) to Rp 3 million. Although the salary is lower than Jakarta's minimum wage of Rp 3.94 million, Loecia pays for the workers' other needs like meals, lodging, transportation and even toiletries.
They have their own room, get one day leave every month, a 13th month annual salary bonus, a 10 percent wage raise every year and a night out every Saturday. They can use toiletries and eat food provided in the house. Loecia also pays return fares every time they visit their hometowns for the Idul Fitri holiday.
