Indonesia ‘Still Has Worker Ban In Place’
Riyadh, 6 Rabiul Akhir 1437/16 January 2016 (MINA) – The Ministry of Labor has rejected reports that the Indonesian government has lifted its ban on workers coming to the Kingdom.
Jakarta still has the ban in place, even though the Shoura Council, the country’s legislative advisory body, agreed to approve a draft labor pact between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia at a session in Riyadh earlier this week, a ministry source told Arab News as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).
Majed Al-Haqqas, spokesman of the recruitment offices, said they were not informed of any change in the current state of recruitment from Indonesia. There were also no changes to the situation for Nepal, he was quoted as saying by a local publication on Thursday.
He said the National Recruitment Committee has ceased to exist because its members had resigned. The ministry was completely responsible for recruitment processes, including cost stipulations, he said.
He said the approval of the Shoura Council does not necessarily mean that there are changes.
“Previously the Shoura approved recruitment from the Philippines but nothing materialized in this regard,” said Al-Haqqas.
Two former members of the National Recruitment Committee, Ibrahim Al-Sanie and Mohsein Al-Umairi, also told the publication the ministry was in charge of the process but that nothing had changed.
On Tuesday, the Shoura approved the draft agreement for Indonesia, to protect the rights of employers and the employees. The accord is similar to other agreements signed by the Kingdom with India, Vietnam, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
The pact prohibits salary deductions from a domestic worker’s pay for any recruitment costs, with penalties for violators.
The agreement will cover 12 categories of workers including drivers, cleaners, housemaids, janitors, tutors and private waiters working for individuals and families.
The proposed agreement includes provisions stipulating that contracts should be in a language understood by workers and for them to have information of who to contact in emergencies.
The worker must also be made aware of the facilities available to him or her in the country of destination, especially when it comes to health and personal safety, and the employer must agree to terminate the service contract after a maximum of two years if the employee wishes to leave. In addition, the employee has the right to retain all his or her travel documents at all times.
The council, chaired by its president, Abdullah Al-Asheikh, was briefed by the committee for administration and human resources on the draft agreement, according to Yahya Al-Samaan, assistant president. The report, prepared by the committee and read out by its chairman, Muhammad Al-Nuqadi, consists of amendments to the original draft.
A senior official from the Indonesian Embassy told Arab News that he does not have any knowledge of the approval at the consultative body. He would wait for information from Jakarta before making further comment.
Indonesia, one of the major sources of women migrant workers in the region, had placed a ban on sending housemaids in 2011.
The government had, however, maintained that the 1.4 million Indonesian maids currently working in the Middle East could continue to do so.
Earlier, the Indonesian government announced that it would start sending maids to the Kingdom if sponsors agreed to their conditions, including monthly wages of SR1,700, Fridays off and overtime payment. (T/R07/R03 )
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
