Indonesia insists on ILO role for domestic workers contracts

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – The Indonesian government says its demands for International Labor Organization (ILO) protection for its domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are “normal and reasonable”.
In a recent telephonic interview with Saudi Gazette, Hendrar Bramodu, Indonesian Labor Attaché in Riyadh, said that the Saudi Ministry of Labor and the National Recruitment Committee have not yet responded to the Indonesian proposals.
“Our demands and requirements are very normal and reasonable because international labor laws and regulations recognized by the ILO cover all kinds of workers including domestic workers. I don’t know why the Saudi Labor system excludes domestic workers from this kind of protection,” said Bramodu.
The Indonesian government, said Bramodu, had asked in 2011 for ILO protection and a basic minimum salary of SR1,200 for its workers. This was at various meetings held in Jakarta and Riyadh with Saudi government officials and private sector recruitment representatives.
Bramodu added that the Indonesian government was trying to rectify problems on its side. This includes training, preventing underage workers from entering the Kingdom and tackling the proliferation of fake certificates.
“I expect effective legislative reforms to be implemented in both countries,” said Bramodu.
A total of 96 percent of the 1.2 million Indonesian workers in the Kingdom are domestic workers.