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 the bill to protect their rights a priority.
"The government should have a strong commitment and the political will to pass the bill, as it is obligated to protect citizens," Lita Anggraini, the chairperson of the group known as Jala PRT, told a press conference on Wednesday.
House of Representatives Commission IX, which oversees welfare issues, on June 2 opted to drop the bill from the priority list of legislation despite the initial fanfare it raised when it was announced. "The legislators have not seen that the bill is urgent," Lita said.
She said that the government should have known that violations against domestic helpers were likely to increase without the bill. "As time goes by, the employers are not treating their house helpers better," she said.
She said that Jala PRT has recorded 472 violations against home workers from 2004 to 2009.
"From that number, 75 percent of the workers were not being paid by their employers and they did not have the courage to ask for their rights," she said, adding that during the survey, many workers were reluctant to give testimony. "Thus, the phenomenon is like the tip of the iceberg. The number of domestic workers experiencing rights violations is much bigger," she said.
"We should protect them by passing the bill," she emphasized.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that in 2009 there were 4 million domestic helpers in the country, with 1.2 million of them working in Jakarta.
The bill has sparked intense debates, and some have questioned whether it provides more benefits than disadvantages.
"Employers think that the bill will not benefit them, as they are afraid their helpers will take advantage of it," Lita said. "But that is not the point.
"There will be an agreement between the employers and the employees, so it will ensure that this informal sector becomes formal and secure," she said.
Yulianti Muthmainah, a housewife, said that some people were afraid of the bill because they tend to hire young workers as house maids.
"With the bill, they can no longer hire helpers below 18 years old," she said, adding that employers often pay young domestic workers less than their older counterparts.
Lita echoed Yulianti's opinion, adding: "This bill will protect children from labor."