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Stalled domestic worker bill gains momentum, gives hope
Domestic workers in Indonesia may see a light at the end of the tunnel as lawmakers move to advance a domestic worker protection bill that has been in limbo for over a decade.
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A domestic worker washes dishes in a kitchen in July 2019. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
D
omestic workers in Indonesia may see a light at the end of the tunnel as lawmakers move to advance a domestic worker protection bill that has been in limbo for over a decade.
Activist Lita Anggraini from the National Network on Domestic Worker Advocacy (Jala PRT) said she hoped all House of Representatives’ factions would agree to the bill in its future deliberation and that the government would respond positively to the initiative.
“The law could change the mindset [such that] domestic workers are [considered] just as important as any other worker,” she said on Wednesday.
Passing the bill would not only empower domestic workers but would also strengthen the country’s bargaining power in Indonesian migrant domestic workers’ placements in other countries, Lita said.
Lita’s comments followed a House of Representatives Legislation Body (Baleg) decision on Wednesday to endorse the bill in an upcoming plenary session. Baleg will later deliberate on the bill itself – although the body has yet to schedule the discussion – before the legislation can be passed into law by the House.
Domestic workers would have legal assurance of “humane” working hours, would receive periodic leave and holiday bonuses as agreed upon with employers and would receive social and health benefits, according to the latest copy of the bill.
The bill includes provisions regarding the recruitment of domestic workers and enumerates their legal rights, such as the right to education provided by their placement agencies and administered by the government. The bill also enumerates criminal penalties to protect workers from discrimination, exploitation, harassment and violence by employers and placement agencies.
