The Indonesian government wants International Labor Organization (ILO) protection for its domestic workers and a minimum salary of SR1,200, before it will allow its workers to return to the Kingdom, said Hendrar Bramodu, the Indonesian Labor Attaché in Riyadh, in a statement published in the Arabic media Saturday. “We have a specific demand for the Saudi labor ministry to amend Article 7 of the Employment Contracts in the Kingdom, to include house helpers. This will conform to regulations of the International Labor Organization.” He said the demands of the Indonesian government are clear, despite the Saudi government saying the requirements are meddling in its internal affairs. Bramodu said the Indonesian government is also introducing changes, including a training center in Indonesia and fixing a minimum age for its workers. He said his government has not received any information about the planned Saudi mega recruitment firms but said they should comply with its rules. He said there are 1.2 million Indonesian workers in the Kingdom, of which 96 percent are domestic workers. The National Indonesian Commission for the Recruitment and Protection of the Rights of Indonesian Overseas Workers signed a memorandum in Jakarta Thursday with a Saudi insurance company to protect the rights of Indonesian workers. Muhammad Jamhour Hidayia, the commission's chairman, said the insurance company protects workers if they are not paid or if they are abused by their employers. He said Indonesian workers will soon return to the Kingdom. Saad Al-Badah, Chairman of the National Recruitment Committee, said he did not know about the agreement and that his committee was not involved. Official sources at the Saudi Embassy in Jakarta said the negotiations are still underway and nothing concrete has materialized so far.
