INDONESIAN WORKERS DEMAND REJECTION OF UNSKILLED EXPATRIATES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 1 (Antara) - Thousands of workers took to the street on Tuesday to observe May Day and voice their aspirations, including rejection of unskilled foreign workers, demand for wage increase, lowering of prices, and abolition of outsourcing system.         Workers holding rallies across the country represented different labor organizations and alliances, such as Indonesian Workers Unions Confederation (KSPI) and alliances grouped under the Labor Movement for the People.         During peaceful rallies held by the Indonesian Workers Unions Confederation in 25 provinces on Tuesday, the workers expressed their objection to the entry of blue-collar or yellow-hat expatriates into Indonesia.         They put forth at least three important demands, namely reduction in the prices of rice, electricity, and fuel; rejection of low wages; as well as the rejection of yellow-hat foreign workers from China.         Basically, the call for rejection of yellow-hat expatriates was based on their fear of being sidelined. After all, Indonesia still has to provide employment for more than seven million jobless workers. Local workers are concerned that foreign workers would take away their jobs.

GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO ALLAY FEARS ABOUT FOREIGN WORKERS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 27 (Antara) - The issue of an alleged influx of foreign workers into Indonesia has once again come up in public discourse and media reports.          The fear is that expatriates will take away employment from the millions of local workers who are still jobless.          However, the government through the Manpower Minister, Hanif Dhakiri, denied allegations that the number of expatriates in the country had surpassed all proportions after the issue of Presidential Regulation No. 20 of 2018 on the Recruitment of Foreign Workers     "There is no need to worry about losing jobs to foreigners. The available job opportunities for local workers are far greater than those for foreign workers," Dhakiri said here on Thursday.          "The issuance of the presidential regulation will not affect the number of foreign workers in Indonesia, because it only speeds up the process of recruitment so that it will become more efficient. There should be no worry. The larger proportion is still dominated by Indonesian workers, foreign workers only fill a small portion of the domestic work opportunities," he said.          The number of foreign workers in Indonesia was still very reasonable compared to the population of about 263 million people.

HOUSE QUESTIONS PRESIDENTIAL REGULATION ON EXPATS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 21 (Antara) - With over seven million jobless people at home, Indonesia needs to enhance employment for its domestic workers and to protect them from the onslaught of expatriates.          Hence, the issuance of the government regulation simplifying the procedure for the recruitment of expatriates has been questioned by legislators.          Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives Taufik Kurniawan has questioned the government to explain Presidential Regulation No. 20 of 2018 on the recruitment of expatriates to avoid misperception among the people.          "We ask, in this case, the Manpower Ministry (Kemenaker), to explain whether the public opinion is true that the presidential regulation is a threat to Indonesian workers," Kurniawan noted in Jakarta on Friday.          The government should tender an explanation on the presidential regulation, as it raises multiple interpretations and could spiral into a political debate.          Earlier, on Thursday, Kurniawan's colleague Fadli Zone, who is also vice chairman of the House of Representatives, criticized the presidential regulation, which he said would harm the interests of local workers.

INDONESIA NEEDS MORE EXPATRIATE WORKERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 30 (Antara) - Rumors about the influx of Chinese workers in Indonesia proved untrue, as the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) data shows only 3,718 Chinese expatriates were employed in the January - September 2016 period.          Moreover, in 2016, the total number of expatriates in Indonesia is recorded at only 74,000 people, or about 0.062 percent of the total workforce of 120 million workers.          Rumors circulating that there are 10 million to 20 million Chinese workers that sideline local workers in Indonesia are untrue.          According to Law and Human Right Minister Yasonna Laoly, the reports that 10 million Chinese workers have taken jobs away from Indonesians is a hoax.          Even with a ratio of 0.062 percent expatriates, Indonesia still needs foreign workers who can help in offering their knowledge, skills and technology.          "The point is, that with a ratio below 0.1 percent Indonesia actually needs more foreign workers, in order to spread the transfer of skills and knowledge," BKPM Head Thomas Lembong (Tom) said, in a press statement in Jakarta on Thursday (Dec 29).

GOVT URGED TO STEP UP SUPERVISION OF EXPATRIATES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 21 (Antara) - The government has been urged to step up supervision of illegal expatriates and improve its manpower skills to face stiff competition in the manpower sector so that seven million unemployed local workers can get jobs.         The All Indonesian Workers Organization (OPSI) said the Manpower Ministry should cooperate with workers and labor unions for supervising foreign workers. Supervision carried out by the ministry should be supported by all sides, including workers and their organizations.         "All manpower services at the provincial and district levels should support the supervision of expatriates," OPSI Secretary General Timboel Siregar said in Jakarta on Tuesday.         He suggested that in order to increase the supervision of foreign workers; the manpower ministry should provide a hotline as a means for conveying information on expatriates, particularly illegal workers.         The Manpower Ministry will also directly repatriate or deport any illegal foreign workers or those who violate Indonesian labor regulations, Manpower Minister M Hanif Dhakiri said on Tuesday.         "If the public knows anything about them (illegal workers), please report to us and we will immediately deport them. These illegal foreign workers will be directly deported from Indonesia if the government finds out about their existence," Hanif said.