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View all search resultsAnalysis: Domestic worker law addresses but won’t end modern slavery
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An activist takes part in a hunger strike outside the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 14, 2023, as part of a protest demanding lawmakers pass the long-awaited domestic workers protection bill. (AFP/Adek Berry))
D
omestic workers work long hours and do all kind of chores for low wages and have little or no legal recourse in case of harassment or abuse, as they are completely at the mercy of their employers, or “masters” in this system of modern slavery that persists in Indonesia.
At least, that was until the House of Representatives passed the Law on Domestic Workers Protection (UU PPRT) on April 21. Among the rights and protections it guarantees, millions of domestic workers, mostly women, will gain legal status and recognition for the first time.
The Domestic Workers Protection Bill had lingered at the House for more than 22 years, indicative of a lack of enthusiasm and sense of urgency, not only on the part of legislators but also the general public. President Prabowo Subianto, in his Labor Day address last year, promised the bill would be passed within three months.
The House missed that deadline but enacted the law in time for May Day 2026 with little fanfare, to judge by the scant attention mainstream media gave the milestone legislation. Nevertheless, the new law could impact the way millions of families across the country treat their servants. And therein lies the rub.
While the law lists the various rights and obligations that must be met by all stakeholders, employers, workers and related businesses such as home cleaning services, it falls short on details related to enforcement and more importantly, oversight.
For example, the law mandates a formal employment agreement that outlines the employee’s rights and the employer’s obligations. But any negotiation between the two sides would involve an unequal power relationship and most likely result in an unfair contract for the domestic worker.
Furthermore, the law merely stipulates entitlements such as “decent wages”, “humane working hours”, “breaks and days off” and “holidays” to be determined by mutual agreement and does not set a legal framework.
