UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
THE ADVOCACY OF INDONESIAN DOMESTIC WORKERS IN SINGAPORE
BY HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION ECONOMICS
Written by:
Dinda Hanifah
20130510333
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH YOGYAKARTA
UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Entitled:
THE ADVOCACY OF INDONESIAN DOMESTIC WORKERS IN SINGAPORE
BY HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION ECONOMICS
Presented and written as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor Degree of Sarjana Ilmu Politik (S. IP) in the Department of International Program
for International Relations (IPIREL), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
Compiled and Written by: Dinda Hanifah
20130510333
Advisor: Dr. Nur Azizah, M.Si
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH YOGYAKARTA
STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY PAGE
I hereby certify that my undergraduate thesis is original and has not been asked to get a bachelor degree at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta or in other university.
In this undergraduate thesis, there is no work or opinions that have been written or published by others except in writing clearly listed as a reference in the script with the name mentioned and listed in the references.
I made this statement in real and if in future there is a mistake in this statement, then I am willing to accept academic sanction in accordance with the applicable rules at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
Yogyakarta, December 2016 Writer
MOTTO
WORK HARD IN SILENCE, LET SUCCESS MAKE THE
NOISY.
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DO YOUR BEST AND LET GOD DO THE REST.
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STUDY while others are sleeping
WORK while others are loafing
PREPARE while others are playing
DREAM while others are wishing
-
William Arthur WardAlways believe in your dream that someday you will make it happen.
TRIBUTE PAGE
In the name of Allah the Lord of mine.
I thank Allah for everything He had given to me. For every blessings and its overwhelming goodness and His unpredictable grace that happened in my life. I praise Allah for everything, I dedicate everything in this life for Allah, I was nothing but His slave that means not even a thing without Him. Thus, I created this thesis and finished already are nothing without his amazing help and its blessing, for all the happiness, joy, and amazing things, Allah is the cause of every good thing. Hopefully, through this starter step, Allah will let me go through the other unexpected journey of life within His beautiful plan. Aamiin..
For one and only, for the world’s best parents of mine, Ayah and Ibu who have given me so many things that is uncountable, who teach me and guided me to become the person that I am today now. For being the first best listener, advisor, and for all the prayers that lead me to my success and every step that I face in life, I thank both of you for that. Having you as my parents is one of the best gift and best blessing from Allah that needs to be thankful and proud for in every single day of my life. For all the love, affection, and other things that I cannot pay back, I hope every good thing I achieved in life will always put a smile right there on your lips, for every success and everything I do, is all dedicated for both of you. I love you, Ayah. I love you, Ibu.
chance to make Ayah and Ibu happy and proud of having us as their children. Aamiin.
The writer also realized that this thesis will not written smoothly and its process will not complete smoothly without any support and prayer from everyone who involved. Therefore, special thanks and gratefully the writer dedicates for:
1. Special thanks to all my beloved friends: IPIREL IC – B the first and the best classmate I have ever met since the day we entered this university, IPIREL 2013 mates as the one who give me support directly or indirectly, thank you so much for all the endless support. See you guys all on top.
2. Special thanks to KKN Internasional GONJEN Squad’ mates: Helen, thank you for all the support and all the life-lesson you have gave
me, thank you for letting me to know you more and being the best advisor of some context in life ever :D, Wulinda, thank you for all the support and all of our fan-girling stories we have ever shared, thank you for make me to love books and even to love reading book even more, you made it! Hahaha. Isti and Soraya, thank you for your support and all the advice which you guys directly or indirectly give to me. Last but not least, the boys of GONJEN, Mas Fanani, Dwi, and Sulis, thank you for the support and all the advice too! See you guys on top.
3. Special thanks to all of my Learning Express of Community Services’ mates: Eunice my LeX buddy, thank you for always
life-experiences we have shared each other. For Dave, Issabelle, Veron, Jannelle, Bryan, Branson, and Meng Hong, thank you for all the
life-experiences and all the lesson you guys have been given to me directly or indirectly, thanks for all the unforgettable memories. I miss you all! :D
4. Special thanks to the struggling-mates of this undergraduate thesis movement who have struggle together with me in doing this
undergraduate thesis: Putri, Ainun, Revli, Ellen, Adit, Adrek, Pungky, Naya, Rizka, Sandyka, Untari. You guys rock! :D
5. Special and gratefully I thank for Cahya, Yuni, and Fitri as the boarding mates, thank you for your endless support guys, thanks for
being the coolest mates in our boarding house, and thanks for all the memories! :D
6. Special and gratefully I also thank for the best buddies of Ala-Ala, thank you for your endless support, for all the surprises, for all the memories, for all the special things you have created a joy in my life. See you all on top. J
sister for me. Thank you nah. ^^ I’m beyond grateful to have you in life. You can always count on me, okay? <3
8. Special and gratefully I also thank for Cahya and Frelia, for all of your amazing support and the endless advice for me. Thank you so much for everything. I love you both. You both are listed. I’m thankful for having this strong bond until now. May we always have each other back. J
9. Special and gratefully I also thank for Ainun, thank you for every help and for always offering some helps. Thank you for every knowledge and for let me know one or two a thing that I may never know before. Thank you too for all the life-lesson you have given to me. Thank you, rek! :p
10.Special thanks and gratefully I also thank for all the awardee of Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program (SEAYLP) Batch 6
Spring 2012 and the Staffs, SEAYLP means so much to me. SEAYLP
takes a part in shaping myself for who I am today. Thus, I really want to mention you guys one by one.
11.SEAYLP 6 Spring 2012 Staffs: Rai, Jordan, Erick, Scott, and Aaron. Thank you so much for everything. Indeed, SEAYLP has
changed my life, like a lot.
you have teach me. Looking forward to make some amazing projects with you all.
13.SEAYLP 6 Philippines: Ira, hola Chabs! I finished the thesis already, thank you for always reminding me to do the best and being the best version of myself in everything I do. You can always lean on me as you always let me to lean on you. I miss you. For my beloved and lovely room-mates Pauline, thank you Pau for being the best room-mates ever during our journey in Nothern Illinois University, thanks for everything, thank you for always let me know that I am loved. For Hazel, hello bud, I hope you always doing fine, we all growing up and time flies so fast. I hope I can see all of you again the soonest. Last but not least, for Sir Flor, Louie, and John Paul, the Filipinos. I miss you all! J
14.SEAYLP 6 Thailand: Pi Pon, Najgy, Tin, Film, Tony, and Park. I thank you all too. I miss you guys.
15.SEAYLP 6 Burmese: Co Lin, Melvyn, Evelyn, May Pwint, Patrick, and Calvin. I miss you guys. I thank all of you too for all the amazing
support.
16.SEAYLP 6 Cambodia: Sokheng, Seng Hong, Pum, Sreynoch, Inasy, and Kimloung. I hope I can see you soon. Thank you too guys.
17.Special and gratefully I also thank for all the participants of US-ASEAN Young Leaders Summit.
19.Special thanks for all mandarin language students.
20.Special thanks for all members of Public Relations Department of Student English Activity
21.Special thanks for all the Student English Activity Members
22.Special thanks and gratefully I also thank for my High School Friends, Anasya, Erlinda, Della and Hanum, and NG buddies, for
all of your endless and amazing support. Thank you for supporting me until now.
23.Special and gratefully I also thank for your presence dear, Intan Chalizah Mazlin, thank you for your endless support, for all the lesson,
for all the blessing, for all the memories, for all the sweetest gift and all the unforgettable memories we have. Know I always let you in. Thank you, mate! Anytime you need help, I will be happily help you and tried my best to help you in the very best way I can. J I located you in the 23rd number of my tribute page as this number is your favorite number? :P
24.Lastly, I’m beyond grateful in having these amazing lifemates, for Laily, Shannas, Dina, Ochi’, Zivora, Arum, and all of my junior
high school friends. You are amazing. I love you so much. This almost
Thank you for everyone that I may forget and has not yet mentioned your name above, but Allah is the greatest, may Allah always bless you and always be with you all the time for every good things and prayers you all have given to me. Aamiin.
PREFACE
Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.
Praise Allah SWT for the abundance of His grace and His Gift with its blessings. In the completion of the undergraduate thesis entitled: The Advocacy of Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore by Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics in 2008 – 2016. This undergraduate thesis made in order to comply as one of the requirement to complete the study and to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in International Program of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
Appreciation and thanks are sincere to my beloved Ayah and Ibu for everything both of you have given to me as your daughter. For the endless love and support, for all the sincere advice, for all the love and affection and its attention morally and materially. May Allah SWT always bless both of you with His Grace, Health, and Blessing in your everyday life both today and in the hereafter.
Appreciation also given to Dr. Nur Azizah, M.Si as the supervisor during the writing of this undergraduate thesis. Thank you for all the advice in making this thesis well-prepared and well-presented.
who involved. Therefore, the authors are grateful for the amount of its presence from:
1. Prof. Dr. Bambang Cipto, M.A. as Rector of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
2. Ali Muhammad, M.A., Ph.D. as Dean of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.
3. Dr. Nur Azizah, M.Si as the Head of International Relations
Department
4. Dian Azmawati, S.IP., M.A. as the Director of International Program
for International Relations.
5. Takdir Ali Mukti, S.Sos., M.Si as the examiner I who gave his advices
regarding the context of this undergraduate thesis.
6. Siti Muslikhati, S.IP., M.Si as examiner II who gave her advices regarding the writing context of this undergraduate thesis.
7. Ms. Margaretha Dharmayanti, S.Pd., M.Hum., as the language examiner who has guided me to make this thesis language in such good academic language.
8. Ms. Sitta and Ms. Luluk from the language institution of UMY for all
the help and all the things that make me easier to do this thesis.
9. All staffs and lecturers of International Relations’ department of
10.Anja Wessels from HOME Singapore as the Head Research Consultant
which has helped me a lot with some accurate and useful data and its information relating with this undergraduate thesis.
11.Kellynn Wee from Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) as one of the
researcher in TWC2 which also the helping hand for me while writing this undergraduate thesis as also helping me to maximize its accuracy of the data and additional information which related with this thesis. 12.Ibu Rahayu as the Head of Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita which also as
one of the helping hand for by providing information and its insight regarding the topic of this thesis.
13.Special thanks to HOME, TWC2, AWARE, and Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita who has permit me to conduct a research for my undergraduate thesis and its related topic. Thank you for the inspiration and the humanity side as the basic soul of this NGOs.
At the end, the writer realizes that in writing this undergraduate thesis is still far from the word perfect. Thus, the authors invoke any suggestions for the sake of good and perfection that maybe useful for all of us in the future.
TABLE OF CONTENT
UNDERGRADUATE THESIS ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
ENDORSEMENT PAGE ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY PAGE ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
MOTTO ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
TRIBUTE PAGE ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
PREFACE ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
ABSTRACT ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
TABLE OF CONTENT ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHAPTER II HOME AND THE ADVOCACY PARTNERS Error! Bookmark not defined.
A. Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1. The Establishment of HOME ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2. The Role of HOME in assisting the Foreign Migrant Domestic Workers Issue ... Error! Bookmark not defined. B. Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics Partners
in Singapore ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2. Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
C. Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics Partners
in Indonesia ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. The Establishment of Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita Error! Bookmark not defined.
2. The Role of Viva Wanita in assisting the Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHAPTER III THE ISSUES OF INDONESIAN DOMESTIC WORKERS
IN SINGAPORE ... Error! Bookmark not defined. A. Types of Problem Faced by Indonesian Domestic Workers
2. Training Center ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3. Monitoring by Agency ... Error! Bookmark not defined. B. Types of Problems Faced by Indonesian Domestic Workers
in Singapore ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. Dirty ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2. Dangerous or Difficult ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3. Degrade ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHAPTER IV ADVOCACY EFFORTS OF HOME AND PARTNERS Error! Bookmark not defined.
A. Lobbying with the Indonesia and Singapore Stakeholders . Error! Bookmark not defined.
B. Negotiating with the Indonesia and Singapore Stakeholders ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1. HOME recommendation to Singapore’s Government .... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2. HOME and Viva Wanita recommendation to Indonesian’ Government Error! Bookmark not defined.
3. TWC2 recommendation to Indonesian’ and Singapore’s Government Error! Bookmark not defined.
D. Collaborating with the Local NGOs from Indonesia and Singapore. .... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
ABSTRACT
This undergraduate thesis tries to explore and obtain a deep understanding and analyzing about the issues faced by Indonesian domestic workers in Singapore. As an addition, this research also will elaborate the role of NGOs in involving to the process of advocacy done by the local NGOs in Indonesia and Singapore who has the same concern which is to advocate the Indonesian domestic workers’ issues in Singapore, as to advocate the foreign domestic worker protection. As we know that Singapore is become one out of best five most chosen destination country by Indonesian women to work as a domestic worker. Aside of that, they experience a lot of abuse, violence, sexual harassment, and other mistreatment while working there. Meanwhile, the government in Indonesia and Singapore also tend to ignore the specific regulation towards their protection in individual. Therefore, here the researcher would like elaborate the current condition of the Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore and the role of the local NGOs in Singapore which is Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) and partners in advocating the issues, also local NGOs partners in Indonesia. As to emphasize, HOME and partners tries influence the government as the policy makers in order to pay particular attention towards the protection of Indonesian domestic worker and the issues they faced in Singapore.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background
Migrant worker is a worker that works overseas for improving their social and economic barriers in which they cannot afford in their own area or in their own country. Migrant worker means working for others in which means also the migrant workers is work based on instruction given by the employers they work for. In accordance with migrant workers, means relating between two states that cooperate together in sending off and receiving the worker in. Due to those fact, thus the government from both states especially the one who used to send the worker off should pay more attention towards their rights and ensure their protection while they work overseas, as well as the government from the destination country to apply and give more concern regarding their policy towards the regulation they have. This research paper will deliver about the advocacy’s efforts conducted by Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) as the Singapore Non-Governmental Organization in cooperate together with the local NGOs from Singapore and Indonesia in advocating the issues and protection of Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore.
five most chosen destination country by the Indonesian workers to work as domestic workers, together with Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. (Badan Nasional Penempatan dan Perlindungan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia, 2016). In Singapore, there are three different categories of labor migrant;
1. Highly skilled work permit holders (expatriates) who earn a minimum of SGD 2,500 per month;
2. S-pass holders, who earn salary more than SGD 1,800 per month; and 3. Unskilled (temporary) workers who earn less than SGD 1,800 per
month.
Table 1.1
25 most chosen Destination Countries for Indonesian Migrant Workers in 2012-2015 (BNP2TKI, 2015).
Table 1.2
Based from the data provided previously above, the domestic workers is the first job in which being the most chosen by the Indonesians. Being domestic worker, it does not mean working in peace and receive their rights fully, in fact there are several problems appeared during their work in Singapore as a domestic worker. In 2014, HOME reported that in the shelters had helped 750 domestic workers with several cases reported. There are 97 cases of physical abuse, 19 cases of sexual harassment, and 333 cases of verbal or psychological abuse (O'Brien, 2015). Others data from HOME, showed in 2015 it is recorded 299 case of emotional abuse, 108 cases of unpaid wages, 102 cases of physical abuse, and 75 cases of insufficient food, among 1212 cases in total (Salvá, 2016). The data show that there are actually still many abuse experienced by the domestic workers in Singapore in which unrecorded. In accordance to the data explained previously, it is clear that the protection of Indonesian Foreign Domestic Worker in Singapore is has not been implemented in their well-being regulations, since there are still a lot of abuse, violence, and others inhuman activity during the FDW works abroad. Thus, their protection should become one of the important concern for the government. In accordance with the remarks of the UNHCR in General Assembly on Migration and Development, that: “Managing migration flows effectively requires understanding that migrants are not simply agents of development but human being with rights, which States have an obligation to protect”.
migrant workers has been managed in UU No. 39/2004 as the highest regulation in concerning the migrant workers issue but still, there are some regulation in which the regulation and law are not explicitly written towards the protection of the migrant workers. In this case, Singapore’s government has largely relied on market forces rather than labor laws to regulate working conditions and recruitment practices. It is then not surprisingly that migrant domestic workers are not protected under the Employment Act (Wong, 2010). It will be different if the Employment Act as the policy makers make a regulations and its protection for the migrant domestic workers, there will be a guarantee and protection for the migrant domestic workers regarding their mandatory weekly rest day, overtime pay, paid sick leave, annual leave, and maternity leave. But in opposite, migrant domestic workers are covered by the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act in which provide protections that is less comprehensive than the Employment Act (Wong, 2010).
for agency, unpaid wages and levy, insufficient food that contains of expired food, and less nutrition meal they receive, and lack of accommodation.
Responding to many issues experienced by the foreign domestic workers that happened in Singapore, some Non-Governmental Organization, International Non-Governmental Organization in Singapore, and other advocacy actors take a role as an organization that concerns to the rights and protection of foreign domestic workers in which somehow the Singapore’s Government gives less attention towards the issue. There are several actors involved in both countries in advocating the issue of Indonesian migrant domestic workers in Singapore who experience such abuse and any maltreatment. Thus, some non-governmental organizations play an important role in advocating their rights and protection in which all of them mostly has the same concern has its vision and mission to promote safety for Indonesian foreign domestic workers. In addition, their advocacy activity also refers to influence the government as the stakeholder’s authority to create, revise, and add a regulation where possible and ratify some constitution or convention in relating with the protection and rights for Indonesian migrant domestic worker, especially in Singapore. One of the main organization that has been mentioned above is HOME.
those assisted by HOME are migrant domestic workers, and just under half of those migrant domestic workers are Indonesian. There are currently estimated that there are around 80,000 Indonesian domestic workers in Singapore (Humanitarian Organization for Migrations Economic., 2012). Through its day-to-day interaction – as the part of their advocacy process, with the Indonesian migrant domestic worker community, HOME has a clear insight into the challenge and discrimination facing by these women and the different ways in which the Indonesian government fails to comply with its obligation under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in order to prevent these women from being discriminated against both in Indonesia and Singapore (Humanitarian Organization for Migrations Economic., 2012). Therefore, concerning in the protection of Indonesian migrant domestic workers overseas is important and there must be an action to advocating and realizing it in further.
B. Research Question
From the topic that has explained above, this research study is intended to answer:
“How does the advocacy process conducted by HOME towards the protection of Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore?
C. Theoretical Framework
show below to give an explanation towards each step conducted and a model of integrated advocacy process to explain briefly the changing of the policy in accordance with the issues. First model that will be used to explain the advocacy conducted by Humanitarian Organizations for Migrations Economics are the step by step advocacy process which illustrated through the table below.
1. The Advocacy Process
Table 1.3
Step by step process of Integrated Advocacy (Tomatimasang, 2013) THE STEP OF
The process in advocating the protection of Indonesian migrant worker is focusing on the core ring, the foreign domestic workers. Data shows that most of the Indonesian Domestic Worker who work in Singapore are women comparing to the men and work as a domestic worker.
Choose the Strategic Issue (Memilih Issue Strategis)
The strategic issue is being chosen from the local NGOs data received through some research by H.O.M.E and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2). The issues are physical and sexual abuse, economic abuse (unpaid salaries, wage deduction) and excessive works hours (no days off), and bad accommodation. Planning on the
Target and its
Strategy (Merancang sasaran dan
strategy)
Advocating the protection of Indonesian domestic workers by planning on change, revise, and add the Employment Act of Ministry of Manpower Singapore’s regulation in order to realizing the rights of foreign domestic worker.
Processing the Data and Collecting Information
(Mengolah data dan mengemas informasi)
HOME in collaboration with TWC2 were conducting interview session with Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers (FDW) in Singapore and provide some questions to observe accurate data relating to the issue they faced. In addition, HOME also collecting additional information from the Indonesian FDW who stay in the HOME Shelter while waiting their case to be finished.
Gathering Alliance
HOME build close alliance with many NGOs in Singapore such as TWC2 and AWARE. HOME also build strong partnership with the regional NGOs in Indonesia called Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita.
Offering Counter Plan (Mengajukan Rancangan Tanding)
HOME and TWC2 and AWARE in offering counter plan to the government or policy makers in Singapore and together with Viva Wanita to counter its plan to the both states’ Government.
Influence the Policy Makers
(Mempengaruhi Pembuat Kebijakan)
HOME, TWC2, and AWARE try to influence MOM in making the policy more concern about the issue faced by Indonesian FDW in Singapore through lobby, negotiate, mediate, and collaborate processes before realizing the public policy changing.
Creating Public Opinion (Membentuk Pendapat Umum)
In Singapore, HOME, TWC2, and AWARE emerging campaigns in Singapore which concern to the protection of FDW in Singapore. One of the campaign is “Day off for Domestic Workers”,
2. Model of Integrated Advocacy
Advocacy is an effort to revise or to change the public policy to fit with the purpose or interest of those who insist or who want a change. Advocacy originally come the word “advocate” in which means to protect, to defend, to promote, or to advocate, or even in other means is to create and create an organized or systematic change (Azizah, 2013). In underlining the term of advocacy, the main purpose of advocacy is to realize a revise, or change of public policy. According to Laswell, the process of policy is divided into 4 steps, including: agenda setting, policy formulation and legitimation, implementation, and evaluation. In brief, advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes – including public-policy and resources allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions – that directly affect people’s current lives.
Figure 1.4
From the data and information collected from the previous step, the process will continue to the next step in which to influence the policy makers in Singapore and Indonesia towards their previous or the available policy or law regulations as to suggest and recommend put more particular attention which related to the issue faced by Indonesian domestic worker in Singapore. Following by the next step will be the lobbying, negotiating, mediating, as well as collaborating with all the involved advocacy actors which involve, in making the policy revised, added, or changed comparing to the previous policy regarding the issue. As the advocacy runs smoothly, then it means the advocacy process following the Integrated Advocacy Model is applicable and match to conduct an advocacy activity in further which related with the issue of migrant workers.
D. Hypothesis
From the explanation above, the hypothesis can be raise that the advocacy process done by H.O.M.E in realizing the protection of Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore is going through:
1. Lobbying the Ministry of Manpower as the Singapore Government to ratify the convention from ILO number 89th on Decent Work for Domestic Worker and International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Member of their Families and others International Convention relating to the issue in which both of States has yet ratify. 2. Negotiating with the Ministry of Manpower and the Employment Act as the
Singapore’s Government to include foreign domestic worker’s protection are the same under the Employment Act protection.
3. Mediating lead by HOME and TWC2 in which arranged between workers, employers, and other relevant parties such as employment agencies involved, to ensure that existing laws are enforced to uphold the dignity and rights of the aggrieved workers.
4. Collaborating with other advocacy partners as the supporting advocacy actors which are TWC2, AWARE as the NGOs from Singapore and the NGOs from Indonesia which is Viva Wanita in making a collaboration to work together by dividing each duty for the advocacy activity to accomplished the achievements.
E. Research Methodology
This undergraduate thesis used literature studies as the technique. The writer uses the data collection information through library research and others resources to conduct this research clear and its accuracy by using books, journal, article, and website related to the topics.
F. Purpose of Research
This undergraduate thesis has several purpose, these are:
1. Explaining the current condition of Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore.
3. Elaborating the advocacy process and its efforts done by HOME and advocacy partners NGOs in advocating the issue.
G. Scope of Research
In order to avoid the wide range of research and to make this research more specific, the scope of research that the writer explained in this undergraduate thesis embraces the advocacy process towards the issue of Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore by the year of 2008-2016.
H. Systematical of Writing
The writer divided this paper into some chapters, and each of the chapter is connected and related to one and another, so it is become one in unite.
Chapter I, examining the introduction which contains: background, research question, theoretical framework, hypothesis, scope of research, and the outline
Chapter II, describing the role of HOME and HOME advocacy partners towards the advocacy activities
Chapter III, describing and analyzes the issue faced by Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore.
Chapter IV, analyzing the advocacy efforts of HOME Singapore and partners in advocating the protection of Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore.
CHAPTER II
HOME AND THE ADVOCACY PARTNERS
In this second chapter, the writer elaborates the role of HOME and its partners in Singapore as well as Indonesia. This chapter also will explain how the role of each NGOs in taking action to advocate the Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore. As we all know, The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics stands as an NGOs who has a concern towards the issues faced by migrant domestic workers in Singapore. Most of the client or victim assisted by HOME is Indonesian in which half of them are female domestic workers. Therefore, HOME stands to advocate the workers by using the term which called NGO advocacy whose has a motivation and desire for a better world for the disadvantages, in term of the rights and protection in which they cannot afford as they become a foreign domestic worker in Singapore. Thus, HOME emphasizes their role as local NGOs in Singapore and forms a close partnership with other NGOs to raise the people’s awareness and emerge an activity called advocacy towards the issue of the Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore.
A. Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics.
roughly 60 per cent of those assisted by HOME are migrant domestic workers, and under half of them are Indonesian (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics; Solidaritas Migrant Scalabrini; Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita). Due to those fact, as non-governmental organization HOME stands to advocate the migrant worker’s protection who work mostly as a domestic worker to get their protection and make them easily accessible towards their rights as a foreign domestic worker in Singapore.
1. The Establishment of HOME
HOME was founded by the CEO named Ms. Bridget Lew Tan as the former of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants People (ACMI) volunteer with the same concern in migrant worker issues. Lew began launch a new migrant center independently, known as the HOME in December 2004. Tan founded HOME and provided services and advocates on behalf of migrant workers using her own personal funds in December 2004 calculated $60,000 from her own Central Provident Fund savings (Chuan, 2014). At the very first beginning of the HOME establishment, the organization provides temporary room and board, medical, legal, and financial assistance, and job skills training to migrant workers. In addition, HOME was established since its founding in emphasizing the focus in which engages in advocacy efforts for migrant workers and support victims of the sex trade and to combat human trafficking.
awards such as Asia Public Service Award in 2010 by Asia 21 Society, and also honorable mention in the Reader’s Digest Asian of the Year award in 2010 (Tan, 2011). In addition, Ms. Tan was honorably mentioned by the US. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton during her speech in the release of the 2011 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report: “Our TIP (Trafficking in Persons) heroes today show us that individual action can lead to some astounding results. For example, in Singapore, Bridget Lew Tan has dedicated her life to protecting migrant workers.”
On the other hand, Ms. Lew continues her good working relationship with the Ministry of Manpower in solving the individual cases and trying to influence MOM’s policies by lobbying for changes in the system (Piper, 2005). In maximizing the role, HOME advocates the migrant domestic workers in Singapore through talks and media contact in order to raise awareness among the Singaporean public about the rights of migrant workers. HOME also conducted a close partnership with various partners as well as the NGOs from Singapore and Indonesia that have the same concern of the migrant domestic workers in Singapore. HOME also advocate for change by publishing reports, stories, position papers, writing letters to press, and even taking part in dialogue sessions with government agencies and other stakeholders on issues concerning migrant workers (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics).
assistance of HOME through migrant service has seven aids available to the workers while they work in Singapore such as the Help Desks and Help Lines, Legal Aid, Shelter, Skills Training, Women’s Health Centre and Programs, Dental Clinic, and Volunteer (HOME, 2013).
In conducting the advocacy process, HOME received and maximized its fund in developing the service of HOME and helping the foreign domestic workers that has several issues and problems they faced.
2. The Role of HOME in assisting the Foreign Migrant Domestic Workers Issue
As in NGO advocacy within the general term, advocacy means organized efforts to realize an incremental change in which means that this activity cover all activities of any pressure group within business or government or even civil society which is pushing for change in some scope (Holloway, 2003). Advocacy also means as an effort to help the victim in receiving their rights and providing what they need in which the government do not pay particular attention on it. Thus, Migrant Service is one of the assistances as one of the advocacy activity done by HOME that provided to the migrant domestic workers especially to the female workers. More specifically, migrant services divided into seven parts, which are:
Manpower as the policy makers and also Police. The purpose of this service is to ensure that the existing laws are enforce to give more particular attention upon the dignity and rights of aggrieved workers is central to the work of the help desk (HOME, 2013).
b. Legal Aid which provides the legal advice and litigation service to the HOME clients on specific issue related to the arrears, family law, criminal law, compensations and the enforcement of court orders (HOME, 2013).
c. Shelter, is basically the main assistance of HOME, it gives the migrant workers free accommodation for women and victims of human trafficking. It is provided for those who experience abuse, exploitation, or have suffered injuries in their work in Singapore. In this service, the migrant workers may stay for as long as one month to one year, depending on how long the worker investigations may take place. Most of the clients who stay in the HOME Shelter come from Bangladesh, China, Congo, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Not only providing a shelter, HOME Shelter also conducting activities such as performances, workshops, and outings to engage the residents during their staying with HOME (HOME, 2013).
which that case caused the abuse by the employers. Therefore, HOME established Skills Training in order to provide training to all migrant domestic workers such as Sunday Classes for English Language, Mandarin Language Class, computer skills training (Internet using and Microsoft Office Applications), cooking, baking, care-giving, cosmetology, dressmaking, and also financial education. This service is aimed to create opportunities and increase the migrant domestic workers skills development (HOME, 2013).
e. Women’s Health Centre and Programs, this service was established to provide a place for education and sexual reproduction health related services. There are some activities included in this service such as a workshop of HIV and Sexual Health Education Workshops and call-in radio shows. The purpose is to encourage the migrant domestic workers to have a good understanding and concern about their health problem (HOME, 2013).
f. Dental Clinic, this service provides a free treatment for those migrant workers who are jobless and still required to remain behind by the authorities waiting for claims and investigations (HOME, 2013). g. Volunteers, is becoming one of the most service in which conducted and
information. The migrant volunteer services also produced My Voice and Suaraku as the newsletter relating the migrant domestic workers in Singapore (HOME, 2013).
In addition, in order to maximizing the role of HOME as the main actor of the advocacy activity, HOME works in close partnership with NGOs in Singapore such as TWC2 and AWARE, also with Solidaritas Migran Scalabrini (SMS) and Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita (Viva Wanita) which are based in Batam, Riau Islands,
Indonesia. HOME’s works partners also have specific role and activity that will deliver each one of them as their main role in conducting advocacy activity towards the issue of Indonesian Female Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore. In relating with the advocacy class activity, therefore HOME conducted partnerships with some groups that has the same concern towards the issue of migrant domestic workers in Singapore.
authorities (Suharto, 2013). By then, the social workers who plays a role as the advocacy actors acts as the representatives of the organization, not as an individual-practitioners. Thus, class advocacy is done through coalition with some groups and organization which have the same concern and agenda that reciprocal with the purposes (Suharto, 2013).
In this case, HOME act as the social workers who initiate an advocacy activity and form a coalition with the other groups or NGOs. HOME developed strategic partnerships with other NGOs on the prevention and protection of the victims of human trafficking, labor, and sexual exploitation. In addition, HOME also emphasizing their role by working with other NGOs as to strengthen their purpose that refers to advocate for better policies and laws regulating the migration of migrant domestic workers (HOME, 2004). HOME create their partnership from both states, Singapore and Indonesia. There are some NGOs involves in the close partnership with HOME in advocate the migrant domestic workers issue in Singapore with the local NGOs from Singapore such as TWC2 and AWARE.
1. Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)
employers, but tend to ignore and was not reported it to the police (Transient Workers Count Too, 2011).
a. The Establishment of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)
The Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) is a non-profit organization that emerged in late 2002 as an ad-hoc group before registered it was under the Societies Act that was publicly launched on 9th March 2003 (Piper, Migrant Labor in Southeast Asia, 2005). Responding to the issues, the outrage and concern over the apathy of civil society in Singapore however provided impetus for the formation of this organization. The main stated objective of TWC2 was to promote respect for domestic workers through education and secure better treatment of domestic workers through legislation and any other means. The Transient Workers Count Too was formed with the aims to promote respect for domestic workers through education and secure better treatment of domestic workers through legislation. It consists of society activist, lawyers, lecturers, and students formed as to raise awareness of FDW issues through public education and advocacy for more structure support.
think that TWC2 can be a good partner in advocating the workers with such problem.
b. The Role of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) in assisting the Female Migrant Domestic Workers Issue.
In emphasizing the role of TWC2 as an advocacy actor whom cooperate together with HOME, the Transient Workers Count Too had conducted public forums and private dialogues with key stakeholders in exploring possible initiatives which refers to the further safeguard or protection towards the interest of foreign domestic workers in Singapore (Piper, 2005). The Transient Workers Count Too activities are mostly focused on the research in collecting information, conducting dialogue with stakeholders, campaigning as to give the information, emphasizing community involvement, and they also contribute to the governance in which means to the government bodies; trade unions; embassies; and other NGOs, and lastly they also dedicate the organization by documentation. On the other hand, there were over 180,000 domestic workers in Singapore in 2008, and the largest numbers came from the Philippines and Indonesia (Transient Workers Count Too, 2008). In working with women employed as domestic workers, TWC2 has focused its attention on the problems they face in Singapore.
long-working hours. This campaign also conducted through website and other campaign activities such as talks, events, and news articles aims to convince large audiences of the importance of giving their domestic workers help their personal time off. Through this campaign, the TWC2 also want to deliver the importance of A Day Off for Migrant Workers, as follows:
1. It is a basic labor right. Domestic Workers, unlike all other employees, are not included in the Singapore Employment Act which guarantees one day off week by law (Han, 2016).
2. It will improve morale and productivity of the domestic workers and increase more energy for them, it can enhance the employer-employee working relationship by giving them a day off.
3. It gives the FDW’s the opportunity not only to utilize their free time to learn new skills and increase their knowledge but also to be empowered as individuals.
credible advocate for a more enlightened regulatory framework (Transient Workers Count Too, 2011).
2. Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)
AWARE is another NGO in Singapore which cooperated with HOME and TWC2 in advocating the issues and rights about foreign domestic workers in Singapore. AWARE is Singapore’s leading gender equality advocacy group in which it believes that it is the rights of women and men to be informed and responsible choices about their lives and to have equal opportunities. AWARE is contributed in stands for removing gender-based barriers. The barriers that means is apply both women and men, but due to the fact that the way human society has evolved, it is women who are more likely to come up against these barriers. Thus, AWARE works to identify and eliminate as possible towards the barriers through research and advocacy, education and training, as well as training and support training.
a. The Establishment of AWARE
mission then appeared and a value was added as the main purposes of the emerging association called AWARE.
AWARE Vision is to promote a society which has true gender equality – where men and women are valued individuals free to make informed and responsible choices about their own lives. Meanwhile, the mission of AWARE is to remove all gender-based barriers to allow individuals in Singapore develop their potential to the fullest and realize their personal visions and hope of lives. In realizing the vision and mission, AWARE has three main points in creating it, such as conducting research and advocacy, education and training, and support services. In addition, AWARE also adding three main values in correlation with their vision and mission. The first value is embracing diversity and promoting understanding as to accept the diversity. Second value is respecting individual and the choice they made in life as well as to support them when it is needed. The third value is creating a believe that woman should have freedom of choice over her reproductive and other privacy right in their lives. Thus, the establishment of AWARE, this association has already a strategic plan guides towards their work in purposed to respond their goals in which to the society that respects the human rights of all.
b. The Role of AWARE in assisting the Female Migrant Domestic Workers Issue
UN anti-gender discrimination. AWARE also provides a feminist perspective in the national dialogue in which it has effectively advocate against laws, public policies, and mindsets that discriminates women. As a result, AWARE has contributed towards the strengthening of law which dealing with domestic violence (AWARE, 2016).
However, what AWARE has done in their role in maximizing their capacity to advocates some issues has connection and strong relations in responding to the issue of foreign domestic worker protection in Singapore. Thus, from the capabilities and experiences that AWARE has accomplished back then, HOME emerges a partnership with AWARE in advocating the issue by changing the law or give recommendation to the policy makers regarding the policy.
B. Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics Partners in
Indonesia
In accordance with the meaning of NGOs advocacy in the subtypes of class advocacy, HOME also has emerged partnership to make a coalition and cooperation with the local NGOs based in Indonesia. HOME conducted partnership with SMS which still under the same leadership of Ms. Bridget Lew Tan as a sister organization which the concerns is to provide shelter for the trafficking or sex exploitation of Indonesian domestic workers in Singapore. Nowadays, SMS has been changed to Viva Wanita with the same vision and mission which are to set up a shelter to combat human trafficking and labor exploitation Indonesian domestic workers from Singapore and also Malaysia. SMS was established when the Viva
Wanita has not yet emerge, by then Viva Wanita is already emerge, then they
combine and work together as Viva Wanita.
1. The Establishment of Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita
Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita, is a non-profit foundation which established
in 2011 and dedicated to support the grass root projects including shelter services, women’s empowerment, youth training, HIV prevention and research. Viva Wanita and SMS jointly provide shelter, reintegration and rehabilitative programs and services to migrant domestic workers which just return or being repatriated from Singapore.
aims to protect women and children from human trafficking and labor exploitation which the office is located in Batam, Indonesia. Batam is an island of the Riau Islands which takes 45 minutes ride riding a ferry from Singapore and has become a point of transit and destination for Indonesian domestic workers from Singapore which may lead and cause the trafficking. The main purpose of the foundation establishment is to provide a shelter for the victims of human trafficking and those who repatriate from Singapore as an Indonesian foreign domestic worker.
2. The Role of Viva Wanita in assisting the Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore
Since its establishment, Viva Wanita has a vision and mission concerning and focusing on empower women at the grassroots in order to take responsibility for the betterment of their lives. As in addition, the mission of Viva Wanita focuses on three main points. First, educate as the basic foundation of human development. Second, empower the women in entrepreneurial skills and other skills that may become one of their capacity building skills for the women. Third, engage which means engaging with the communities to achieve its mission as to build better lives for all.
CHAPTER III
THE ISSUES OF INDONESIAN DOMESTIC WORKERS IN SINGAPORE
This chapter explains and analyzes issues or problems experienced by most
of Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore, mainly the Indonesian Foreign
Domestic Workers in Singapore. Approximately one in every seven Singaporean
households employs a “live-in” migrant domestic workers in which doing the house
chores such as child care work, domestic duties and elder care work these women
perform help free up Singaporean men and women to work outside of their homes
and leave the job for their domestic workers. There are more than 200,000 foreign
domestic workers recorded by the Ministry of Manpower of Singapore in 2012 and
the number is growing rapidly each year. Most of the foreign domestic workers are
coming from the neighboring country such as Indonesia, Philippines, and
Myanmar. According to IOM, most of the domestic workers are the unskilled
(temporary) workers who earn less than SGD 1,800 per month.
The role of migrant women who work as a foreign domestic workers are all as
both care and welfare providers can be analyzed from many different perspectives.
The economic perspective emphasizes the rationality of live-in domestic work and
the important impact of remittances on the material well-being and economy of the
origin country of the domestic workers are come (Escriva & Skinner, 2008).
According to the Indonesian government data, in 2014 of around 4.5 million
Indonesian migrant workers who are mostly (around 70%) women were employed
in domestic sector and they were in productive age margin between 18 to 35 years
worked for, it is inevitably that there are several problems appeared faced by foreign
domestic workers. The problems or issues they faced are divided into two types
which are the pre-departure and the arrival in Singapore with their employers in
Singapore. Most of the problems that they faced in Singapore are summarized in
three Ds: Dirty, Dangerous, Degrade. Thus, this chapter elaborates in details of each
problem experienced by Indonesian foreign domestic workers in Singapore.
A. Types of Problem Faced by Indonesian Domestic Workers in Prior to
Departure
Women and girls are often depicted in the media both in Singapore and more
widely as entering trafficking situations as a result of being physically abducted,
sold by relatives or sent away with recruiters by relatives for what they believe to
be other forms of paid employment. Most of Indonesian foreign domestic workers
who do not have specific skills or known as low-skilled workers applied job
overseas, mainly the neighboring country such as Malaysia, Brunei, and even
Singapore. Many agencies from Indonesia in each branches often offer the
low-skilled women and girls to work overseas with its interesting promises and make
them decided to work abroad as domestic workers. Through those fact, it is
inevitably that some agencies also take benefit which bring disadvantages to the
workers. Through some process in pre-departure, domestic worker may arrive in
Singapore heavily in debt as they are charged exorbitant fees for the processing of
documents, placement and airline tickets by such placement agencies (Yin K. F.).
Those problems become one of the problem that often appears by the workers
1. Recruitment Process
Discussing about migrant workers was not far of context from the first
process called recruitment. Most of Indonesian domestic workers seek help for
having a job from the recruiters in Indonesia. Recruiters takes a role actively in
seeking out women who they think might be persuaded to work overseas as a
domestic worker. Despite their recruitment process, there is a problem that often
occurred at the pre-dispatch of Indonesian foreign domestic worker in which mostly
come from an offer that in case they willing to be migrant workers overseas, most
of the recruitment agencies give them interesting promise. They were promised that
they will get high salary, easy procedure, and light job without any difficulties
(Surwandono & Azizah, 2015). To convince the job given in the incoming time is
a decorous job, the Indonesian migrant workers are asked to fulfill some payment
financial.
Although some payments are required to be fulfilled by the migrant workers
before they are working overseas, there are also some agencies that allow them to
pay the payment while they are working overseas. The payment that required could
be paid by the time they work, even though it is may be convinced to the migrant
workers, however that kind of treatment may lead the migrant workers to have an
opportunity to do inhuman job which called the three Ds: Dirty, Dangerous,
Degrade. In addition, the workers lack of reliable information from authorized
sources or the recruiters on safe migration and the risk of working abroad in which
create a challenging environment and increases workers’ vulnerability that leads to
In fact, in the case of recruitment process, the domestic workers are mostly
charged up to 11 months’ salary as a recruitment fee in which this matter is contrary
to the Article 15(1)(e) of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention which states that
measurement should be taken to ensure that “fees charged by private employment
agencies are not deducted from the remuneration of domestic workers” (HOME,
2012). In further matter, the practice of length salary deductions contributes to the
acceptance by domestic workers of exploitative working conditions upon arrival in
the destination country as they do not wish to perform any complain and its risk
having an increase in their salary deductions and/or finding themselves in a position
in which they are unable to pay the debt they owe to the agency. This case also
leads to other issue that the workers often threatened by the agency that if they are
not able to pay the fees required they have to pay their own airfare and the balance
upon their return to home.
During the recruitment process the migrant workers also complained that
they were lacked of adequate information in which means the workers are
frequently given inadequate and/or inaccurate information about the nature of the
job employment. For instances, they were required to work in much larger houses
for much larger families compared to when they were initially informed before their
recruitment process. Another case is that many of them did not clearly understand
the contract they signed since it was written in English and the recruiters did not
explain it to them. Moreover, the workers were discouraged by their recruiters and
agents from asking too many questions. These problems, faced by most Indonesian
Lastly, another problem is the under-age girl recruitment HOME has
represented a large number of Indonesian domestic workers who were recruited to
work in Singapore were under the age of 18 (HOME, 2012). A research by HOME
showed that two such women arrived at the HOME shelter since January 2012. The
first girl arrived in Singapore in November 2009 aged 17 who had been recruited
by the Putra Sanjaya Perkasa agency located in Jakarta and the other one arrived in
Singapore in May 2011 who had been recruited by the Alkarim agency in Jakarta.
Prior to their departure from Indonesia to Singapore, both girls were given passport
by their respective recruitment agency showing their age to be 23 and they were
asked to confirm their age is 23 whenever they were asked.
2. Training Center
Another common problem faced by the Indonesian foreign domestic
workers before they depart to Singapore is the time spent in the training center.
There are some cases where migrant workers need to pay for their recruitment
process including their training process. In the training center, they usually only get
a chance for household chores training, it is inevitably that language training is
highly needed for them. An Interview conducted by TWC2 also proved that the
training for daily house care is higher and the most applicable training than the
language training. In addition, the required payment that the workers have to paid
do not generally included and receive adequate training by the Placement Agency
of Private Indonesian Workers (Pelaksana Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia
the nature of work, contract conditions, or even the laws and requirements of
destination countries.
The migrant domestic workers also agreed that the training center do not
provide adequate both developing skills required to fulfill the duties of the domestic
worker and in terms preparing them to live in the destination countries. As a basic
need, the language training is one of the most needed trainings for the workers, thus
this training should be maximized to meet the require language while the workers
work in the destination countries. Somehow, the problem appears that the language
training is not fulfilled clearly and not maximally done that lead the workers not
able to communicate effectively with their employers as they are unaware about
their jobs, rights, or even their protection laws. Meanwhile, the training was
primarily only focused on ensuring that they have sufficient English to pass the
entrance test on arrival in Singapore in which this condition is not sufficient enough
to communicate effectively with their employers. This matter causing another
problem to appear while they are working with their employers.
On the other hand, many Indonesian domestic workers reported that they
were subjected to a very poor treatment in the pre-departure training centers in
which they were required to stay in for several months prior to departure. In
addition, these women also experienced poor living conditions in which they had
to sleep in a cramped room with many other women. Inadequate food also provided
and the trainees frequently suffer verbal abuse from the training center staff. Whilst
waiting for the placement, it is inevitable the workers also do not have a freedom
leave. In addition, it is undeniable that in the training process all of the information
are highly recommended to be inform regarding their working environment in order
the worker to be prepared for the tasks or works they are required to carry out.
Thus, in this case, the Government of Indonesia must monitor effectively
all recruitment agencies since these discriminatory violations of the rights of
migrant domestic workers are however continue to take place in training centers in
Indonesia.
3. Monitoring by Agency
The extent of monitoring by agency after the workers being sent to the
destination country is somehow required to avoid some issues that may appear in
the future. In this matter, the agency tends to refuse the further process which
happen to the prospective migrant workers regarding their excessive fees that the
workers have to paid. There are cases where prospective workers who undertake
training programs conducted by the agency are exposed to hazardous conditions
and charged additional fees which are disproportionate to the training they receive.
This monitoring problem can lead the migrant workers into debt bondage during
their work in the receiving countries (ILO, 2015). Those three problem and this
monitoring problem often appear to the workers before they are being sent off that
somehow create a pressure for the workers. In addition, the role of domestic
worker’s agency is requiring the Indonesian foreign domestic workers to pay a high
payment to the agency that somehow create a pressure. Meanwhile the payment is
A. Types of Problems Faced by Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore
Responding to the amount of Indonesian foreign domestic workers in
Singapore and the problem appearing during their pre-departure, the issues and
problems they experienced during their job in Singapore also appearing and has not
decline year by year. In Singapore, the main problems faced by Indonesian
domestic workers are harsh working conditions, which peaks in instances of
violence against domestic workers and sometimes results in their death. In
Singapore, local laws do not cover the employment conditions of domestic workers
such as work hours, rest days, and minimum wages (Yin K. F.). The Ministry of
Manpower, the agency in charge, has consistently argued that work in private
sphere is different from normal employment terms in which this case makes it
difficult for employment conditions to be applied. Thus, during the placement
period, migrant workers face many challenges relating to decent work, including
timely payment of wages, extreme working conditions experienced by Indonesian
include below-standard wages such as; physical violence; illness; restrictions on
access to information and communication; insufficient food; public humiliation;
and specific problem employers (especially female) and their families (ILO, 2015).
All in all, most of Indonesian domestic workers tend to be featured in cases where
abuse occurred more than once as they tend to be less well educated or competent
in the English language.
Although the Government of Singapore and Indonesia have made efforts to
improve the situation for Indonesian domestic workers, the pattern of issues or
(International Organization for Migration, 2010). Most of the problems that the
Indonesian foreign domestic workers faced during their work in Singapore are
summarized in three basic Ds: Dirty, Dangerous, Degrade. Each of the problem has
its sub types of cases that will explain the current condition of the Indonesian
foreign domestic workers in Singapore. The table below shows the problem
experienced by the Indonesian Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore,
summarized by the International Organization for Migration.
Table 3.1
Problems Faced by Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore (1999-2008) (IOM, 2010).
1. Dirty
In order to receive accurate information regarding the main problem faced
by Indonesian foreign domestic workers in Singapore, HOME conducted an
interview during 2013-2014 with 670 sample of foreign domestic workers who
mainly come from Indonesia, Philippines, and Myanmar. The first D’s problem is
