Migrant Workers & Challenge In Indonesia

1. Migrant Workers & Challenge In Indonesia Paper presented by Indonesian ( CITU & SPSI ) ILO ~ATUC WORKSHOP Hotel Aryaduta, 20~24 August Jakarta

2. Indonesia Geography • Location in Southern Asia, Archipelago between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean ( map reference : Southeast Asia ) • Area : Total : 1.919.440 sq km • Land : 1.826.440 sq km • Water : 93.000 sq km • Land Boundaries : • East Timor : 228 km • Papua New Guinea : 820 km • Malaysia : 1782 km • Water Boundaries : • Singapore, India, Philippine,Australia, Vietnam, etc.

3. Natural Hazards : • Occasional floods, Severe drought, Tsunami, Earthquake, Forest Fire etc. • Environment Current Issues: • Deforestation, Water pollution from industrial waste, Sewage, Air Pollution in urban area, smoke and haze from forest fire • People of Indonesia • Population : 245.452.739 ( Statistic office) • Age structure : 0~14 years: 28 % 15~ 64 years : 65.8 % ( male : 80.796.794 & Female : 80.754. 238 65 and over : 5.4 % • Life Expectancy : • Male : 67.42 years & Female : 72.45 years

4. Ethnic Group : • Javanese : 45 %, Sundanese : 14 %, Madurese : 7 % Coastal Malay 7.5 % and Others : 26 % • Administrative Division : 30 Provinces • Economy : Indonesia has continuous struggled to overcome complicated problems and facing challenges like : Financial Crisis, grappling with unemployment , fragile banking sector, endemic corruption, inadequate infrastructure, poor investment climate, unequal resource distribution among regions, now oil import state due declining production and lack of new eploration

5. Economic Review • GDP ( Purchasing power parity ): $ 869.7 Billion ( 2005 est ) • GDP ( official exchange rate ) :$ 270 • GDP per capita (ppp) $. 3600 (2005 est) • GDP –Composition by sector • Agriculture : 13.4 %, Industry : 45.8 % • Service : 40.8 ( 2005 est) • Labor Force : 94.2 million • Labor Force by occupation : agriculture : 46.5 %, Industry : 11.8 % & services : 47.7 % • Unemployment Rate : 11.8 % & Population below poverty : 16.7 %

6. Government’s Trend Policy • Prologue • As the world’s largest archipelago the fifth biggest populated state and it is grouped into developing country therefore the problems of the nation is quite complicated. • The distribution of population as well as the distribution of infrastructure is not well organized. This create the gap between western and eastern part of country • The mainly prioritized program of ruling government is how to alleviating poverty, Support Investment in real sector and Creating Job Opportunity • To provide business in conducive climate

7. Law economic reformed policy • Conducive Fiscal policy to support economic stimulus • Micro Mid Business Unit Development Policy • Agribusiness & Agriculture policy • Industry National Policy • Export, Int’l Trade and Investment Policy • Reformed & Restructure State Owned Company

8. Key Points / conclusions : • Economic Growth is quite slow moving and is still generated in consumptive based. • Performance in investment is still serious question mark • High birth rate & Unemployment is quite high

9. Migrant Workers !!! • Limited for job opportunity and un-ability of Gov to accommodate job for work force have pushed people to find their solution. • Region of Middle East and Malaysia for instance is the place of workers’ hunting . • Low education background , workers work in informal sectors

10. What happened today it still connected to the past. Indonesia ~ Malaysia relation have been deeply rooted. Culture aspect such Language, Religion, ways of life , family still linked closely. These are as tools for working in out of border. Now it is so called Migrant workers. • Early 1980, High speed of population growth in Indonesia and High speed in economic booming & infrastructure has become symbiosis mutualism • Sector Based job in Malaysia : Plantation, Commercial Agriculture Enterprise, Building Construction, domestic servant etc

11. Role of The Government • To organize the legal workers status, both Indonesia~ Malaysia Gov agreed that Labor Suppliers is authorized parties to handle this matter. Ideally this mobilization of workers get better protection their rights in works place. • At the same time in the middle east region ( Saudi Arabia Kuwait) need a plenty also workers in informal sector

12. Number of Workers Sent Abroad

13. Indonesian Workers Sent Abroad

14. Indonesian Workers Sent AbroadBy Sex and Sector 2005

15. The Problems Stage of Migrant Workers • Migration Step • Uncertainty of Women Migrant Workers • Recruitment & Before Leaving • Informal Procedure & ( Trafficking Human) • Administration Cost High • Deception & Blackmail performed by agents (brokers) • Fictive Job opportunity • Un-match Training Program • Bad manner conducted by agents in their lodging • Totally they are not as migrants • Fictive identity of migrant workers • Less Info regarding procedures & conditions

16. On The Way • Flight / travel ticket is too expensive • Unregistered Transportation • Dangerous Travel • High Risk at transit • Working and Living Condition at Overseas • Substituting & violation contract agreement • Work relation is dependency because all document under control / kept employers / suppliers • Worst living & working condition • Health & safety in high risk situation and less protection • Unpaid salary & cut off • Bad performance & physical , Psychic & sexual violation

17. Less & lost communication • No access for information • Embassy responsibility is low • Termination of Contract • Termination is not legal binding • Sudden severance • No place / shelter before returning their home countries • No procedure for grievance & dispute • Return & Reunite • No income resource • Blackmail & Over budget performed by illegal agents at the airports, customs Office, money changers etc • Bankrupt, family adaptation • Thread to be trafficking

18. The Role of Trade Union • It is realized that Trade Union Organizations facing great barrier and problems in organizing migrant workers. In this way, Int’l Trade Unions have stronger power to touch issues of protection and promoting their right. • Cooperation and joint agreement is key point to control issues of migrant workers. Good things have been done between Confederation of Indonesian Trade Union (CITU) & Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC).

19. This initiative sponsored by ITUC ( Intl’ Trade Union Congress ) to uphold Special Action Programs ( SAPs) such as migrant workers. • In Future partnership agreement of migrants workers should be often reviewed discussed so that the promoting and protecting of migrants workers is increasingly better.