Dessy Sagita & Zaky Pawas, Jakarta – Amid the furor over the abuse of Indonesian maids abroad, questions are being raised over which government body is ultimately responsible for th

Jakarta – A Saudi Arabian woman has admitted to burning her Indonesian maid, Sumiati, with an electric iron and other forms of torture because she was "reckless" in performing her dutie

Armando Siahaan & Antara, Jakarta – An Indonesian minister tasked last week with ensuring the welfare of a migrant worker tortured and abused in Saudi Arabia was still stuck here on

Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, Indonesia – She arrived in Saudi Arabia a high-spirited 23-year-old, eager to start work as a maid to help support her family back home.

Sanggau, West Kalimantan – The Women's Empowerment, Family Planning and Child Protection Agency head, Gorgonius Theno, is condemning private companies that are hiring underage workers.

Ali Kotarumalos, Jakarta – Indonesia demanded an investigation on Friday into reports that a domestic worker was allegedly killed by her employer in Saudi Arabia and thrown into dumpste

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The government is considering whether it will equip Indonesian migrant workers overseas with cell phones to better enable them to reach officials in the event t

AI Index: PRE01/386/2010

Jakarta – Sumiati binti Salan Mustapa arrived in Saudi Arabia four months ago in search of a better life.

Tifa Asrianti, Jakarta – Indonesian migrant workers are estimated to contribute US$7.1 billion in remittance to the country this year.

BATAM, Riau Islands – Workers with a number of labor unions in Batam on Wednesday protested the implementation of a law revision that they said would degrade their rights.

Medan, North Sumatra – Workers in North Sumatra staged a rally at the governor's office in Medan on Wednesday, demanding the government immediately implement a law on social security.

Zely Ariane – If there was an easier way to struggle for their rights, the workers from the PT.

Zoe Kenny, Yogyakarta – A labour dispute is unfolding in this Central Java city that highlights many of the intransigent problems Indonesian workers face under the neoliberal government

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Thousands of workers from across West Java staged a rally in Bandung on Tuesday protesting a plan to revise Law No 13/2003 on manpower, claiming it was plann

Slamet Susanto, Bantul – Cigarette producer partners (MPS) are earning less than the Rp 1.5 million (US$150) a month they received four years ago producing hand-rolled cigarettes for a

Made Arya Kencaya, Denpasar – Hundreds of employees of state-owned Telekomunikasi Indonesia rallied on Monday in front of the Bali Regional House of Representatives.

The newly-formed union SPK-PPBI (Security Workers Union, aligned with the United Movement of Labour Indonesia) is calling for solidarity from unions and individuals.

Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – Though activists and businesspeople have welcomed a ministerial decree ending a dispute between two bodies with overlapping mandates on migrant workers, many do

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Migrant Care, an organization providing advocacy for troubled migrant workers, has recently been at loggerheads with labor exporter associations over labor

Jakarta – The minister of manpower on Thursday vowed to "eventually" abolish labor outsourcing, starting with restrictions on the scope of the practice.

Labour activists from the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM), the Yogyakarta Labour Alliance (ABY), the Greater Jakarta Labour Federation of Struggle (FBPJ) and the United Indonesian Labo

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Indonesian labor unions grouped under the Asian Labor Networking in International Financing Institutions (ALNI) said "slavery" occurs in projects funded by

Dessy Sagita & Ismira Lutfia – The Indonesian government would prevent Indonesians from working illegally abroad if it provided them with alternative jobs here, the National Commiss

Jakarta – About 500 angry Indonesians staged a motorbike protest outside the Malaysian ambassador's residence in Jakarta on Wednesday to condemn the abuse of Indonesian maids by Malaysi

Camelia Pasandaran & Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – The government has reiterated that a moratorium on sending domestic workers to Malaysia is still in force, following reports of another

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Putri Prameshwari, Jakarta – The case of 63 Indonesian women who were tricked into practical slavery by an unscrupulous Malaysian businessman is prompting

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Labor exporters have rejected a revision to a bill that intends to empower the National Agency for Overseas Labor Placement and Protection (BNP2TKI) and en

Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – The National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy is pushing lawmakers to pay attention to the welfare of millions of domestic workers in the country by making

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – About 13,000 workers staged a sit-in rally outside PT Panarub Industry shoe factory in Tangerang city to protest the management's decision to cut their Idul Fi

Malang – Police are investigating an attack on the house of a local labor activist, Luthfi Khafid, 45, on Saturday.

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia said Sunday it could not accept an Indonesian proposal on a minimum wage for its maids amid delays on a working conditions deal following a series of shocking ab

Alfian and Panca Nugraha, Jakarta, Mataram – Workers at PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (PT NNT), a subsidiary of US mining giant Newmont Mining Corporation and the operator of the Batu Hijau

Bambang Djanuarto & Yoga Rusmana, Indonesia – Workers at the Indonesian unit of Newmont Mining Corp., the largest US gold producer, began a strike today at the Batu Hijau gold and c

Jakarta – Millions of households in Indonesia depend heavily on the services of domestic workers, such as nannies and housemaids, who are practically in charge of doing most basic house

Farouk Arnaz & Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – Members of a labor union at state electricity utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara have filed a criminal complaint against the company's boar

Putri Prameshwari – The number of Indonesians working illegally in Malaysia could spiral out of control after a long-awaited agreement on workers' protection was indefinitely delayed ag

Putri Prameshwari – Amid endless pressure from activists for the government to formulate a law to protect the rights of domestic workers in Indonesia, the Ministry of Manpower and Trans

Sunanda Creagh – A review of Indonesia's strict labor laws could be completed in one or two years, an official from the Manpower Ministry said on Thursday, longer than hoped for by inve

Putri Prameshwari – Labor activists have denounced the opposition by the Indonesian delegation to an International Labor Organization meeting this month to drafting a convention that wo

Women domestic workers in Indonesia face human rights abuses at work, including economic exploitation, poor working conditions and gender-based discrimination.

Nurfika Osman – Almost half of Indonesian overseas workers – or three million people – are victims of human trafficking, according to an annual report released on Tuesday by the US Stat

Ismira Lutfia – Domestic workers' advocates have lashed out at the House of Representatives for bumping a bill on protecting their rights from the list of priority legislation for delib

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Migrant Care is one of the NGOs providing legal advocacy for troubled migrant workers.

Nurfika Osman – The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry has set up a task force to curb the number of migrant workers heading to Malaysia in breach of a government moratorium on sendin

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Every three months at least 500 Indonesians travel to Malaysia and start work illegally, despite Indonesia's ban on allowing informal workers to migrate to t

AI Index: ASA 21/007/2010

Jon Lamb – The East Timorese government is refusing to accept a proposal by Australian-based exploration company Woodside Petroleum to develop the Greater Sunrise gas deposit in the Tim

Desy Nurhayati, Denpasar – The Bali Tourism Union is calling on the provincial administration to immediately set a minimum wage for their members.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Some 200 employees of cement company PT Semen Kupang are angry they have still not been paid their pensions and allowances after being made redundant by the co