TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has urged the government and the House of Representatives to begin deliberations and pass the domestic worker bill (RUU PRT) and ratify the Domestic Workers Convention of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The calls were expressed during the commemoration the International Workers’ Day on June 16.
“The ratification and the draft bill are expected to become the legal umbrella and provide legal certainty for the recognition of domestic workers as [formal] workers,” said the Chairwomen of Komnas Perempuan Migrant Worker Unit Sri Nurherwati in a written statement, Thursday, June 16, 2016.
In addition, the ratification and the draft bill are expected to create good and favourable working conditions for both domestic workers and employers. Sri said that her agency has urged law enforcers to investigate and conclude abuse and assault cases against domestic workers in many regions in Indonesia.
Sri has called on all parties to support domestic worker bill and the ratification of ILO Domestic Workers Convention No. 189 as the manifestation of Indonesian commitment to upholding human rights. According to Sri, the deliberation of domestic worker bill has been very sluggish. The House of Representatives had even set it aside from the top priority in the legislative agenda.
Whereas the Ministerial Regulation on Domestic Worker Protection No. 2/2016 has yet to be implemented, Sri said. “Because the substance [of the regulation] was not enough to address the need for protection and recognition of domestic workers,” Sri said. Meanwhile, the government has already laid out the road map of Zero Domestic Workers 2017 with regards to overseas domestic workers. “It could potentially discriminate workers and household occupations.”
The Zero Domestic Workers road map may become problematic as it might restrict Indonesians from working abroad, according to Sri. Whereas migration has been triggered by poverty issue that has yet to be resolved. Moreover, the policy also contradicts international standards that recognize and protect domestic workers equally with other workers. “We have seen an increase in violence, exploitation and employment disputes against domestic workers,” Sri said.
GHOIDA RAHMAH
