ID :
36314
Thu, 12/18/2008 - 16:48
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/36314
The shortlink copeid
GOVT URGED TO RATIFY MIGRANT WORKERS CONVENTION
Jakarta, Dec 18 (ANTARA) - The non-governmental organization (NGO) Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's Solidarity) has urged the government to ratify the United Nations Convention 1990 for the protection of migrant workers and their family members on the occasion of International Migrant Labor Day on December 18, 2008.
Women's Solidarity chairperson Risma Umar said in press statement, the ratification would accommodate the overall rights and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
In addition, the NGO also urged the government to immediately amend Law No. 39/2004 on placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
According to Risma Umar, many government policies on Indonesian migrant workers were ineffective to protect migrant workers in every migration process because they failed to involve NGOs and the migrant workers themselves.
Risma explained that 90 percent of 6 million Indonesian workers who had been employed in some 27 countries were women, and most of them worked as house maid in foreign countries.
She said the number would probably continue to increase following domestic economic turmoil.
Based on long-and-medium-term development plan 2004-2009, the government had set a goal to increase the number Indonesian migrant workers from 700,000 to one million people per year until 2009.
But Risma said it was ironic because the goal was contradictory to the improvement in the system of dispatch, placement, and protection of the migrant workers by the government.
The existing policies, according to her, were mostly in relation with the regulation of placement than the protection of the migrant workers.
Therefore, Risma said the Indonesian migrant workers, especially the women, were susceptible to exploitation, cheating, violence, and sexual harassment.
She said the existence of Arrival Data Building (GPK) at Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta was ineffective to solve the problem of extortion and hoodlum-ism practices at the airport.
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Women's Solidarity chairperson Risma Umar said in press statement, the ratification would accommodate the overall rights and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
In addition, the NGO also urged the government to immediately amend Law No. 39/2004 on placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
According to Risma Umar, many government policies on Indonesian migrant workers were ineffective to protect migrant workers in every migration process because they failed to involve NGOs and the migrant workers themselves.
Risma explained that 90 percent of 6 million Indonesian workers who had been employed in some 27 countries were women, and most of them worked as house maid in foreign countries.
She said the number would probably continue to increase following domestic economic turmoil.
Based on long-and-medium-term development plan 2004-2009, the government had set a goal to increase the number Indonesian migrant workers from 700,000 to one million people per year until 2009.
But Risma said it was ironic because the goal was contradictory to the improvement in the system of dispatch, placement, and protection of the migrant workers by the government.
The existing policies, according to her, were mostly in relation with the regulation of placement than the protection of the migrant workers.
Therefore, Risma said the Indonesian migrant workers, especially the women, were susceptible to exploitation, cheating, violence, and sexual harassment.
She said the existence of Arrival Data Building (GPK) at Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta was ineffective to solve the problem of extortion and hoodlum-ism practices at the airport.
***3***
