Abstract :
The latest census conducted by the Indonesian National Institute of Statistics (Badan
Pusat Statistik, BPS) in 2001 places the number of domestic child workers in
Indonesia at 570,000. Domestic workers tend to start very young ? when they are 12
or 13 years old. According to the Javanese or "ngenger" tradition, it is normal to
send children from poorer backgrounds to wealthier members of their extended
family, or to people who will commit to providing the child with a decent education
and a place to live. In exchange, the child helps with household work. From the point
of view of the public, domestic workers are considered members of the family and
not employees.
However, the hierarchical gap between domestic workers and their employers is so
great that the public views their status as deeply inferior. Domestic workers are
considered to be subordinate to their employer. The harsh conditions they endure are
tolerated not only by the public, but by the workers themselves who have been
influenced by this understanding of their position. Domestic workers are seen
effectively as second-class citizens whose subordinate role excludes them from those
rights enjoyed by other members of the community.
In Indonesia, domestic workers are not protected by current legislation safeguarding
workers rights, in particular the 2003 Manpower Act (No.13/2003, Undang-Undang
tentang Kentenagakerjaan). The Act distinguishes between workers employed by
businesses or social or other undertakings with officials in charge, and other
workers. Domestic workers fall under the latter category but the Act only guarantees
its extensive protections of workers? rights to workers who fall into the former
category. Thus the Manpower Act itself discriminates against domestic workers and
leaves them without legal protection of their workers rights, such as access to the
minimum wage, a 40-hour working week, and standards providing for regular breaks
and holidays.
All protections of key workers rights in the Manpower Act, such as the rights listed
above, are specified to apply only to the employees of entrepreneurs. Therefore,
domestic workers, and other workers whose manner of employment does not fall
within the definition of employment by ?entrepreneurs?, are excluded from the
protections of fundamental workers rights which are extended to other workers in
Indonesia. Domestic workers are consequently left without legal protections of their
employment rights.