WORKING PAPERS FOR SHARING COUNTRY EXPERIENCES
Homenet Southeast Asia’s Subregional Workshop on Membership-based Organizing, linking OSH and Fair Trade Concerns

OSH FOR HBWS IN THE CONTEXT OF INDONESIAN POLICIES

Dr.  Hesti Wijaya

In terms of occupational health and safety concerns,  women homebased workers (HBWs) in Indonesia, as informal workers, are at high risk  depending on the type of work or line of occupation. For example, HBWs engaged in embroidery work experience occupational and safety problems that are different from those who work in the cracker factory. Generally, women HBWs suffer the same visible and invisible health and safety problems, such as physical strain and diseases, and internal organ ailments resulting from exposure to toxic substances in their jobs.

The impact of health hazards to home based workers  can be seen in various forms: inability to work properly; low productivity; complete work stoppage; high cost of curing illness, thus,  leading to further  poverty; dwindling family income; downward slope of family welfare; insecure worker; working place, usually small is partially or entirely shared with family living.

The government has a new policy:  HEALTH CARE FOR ALL. But the big question remains – accessibility of  the Health Care Program to women homeworkers. There are also labor laws and Ministerial regulations, such as Labor Law no. 13/2003 (stating that every worker has rights to obtain protection on safety and health at work);  Article 87 (mandatory for every business company to implement occupational safety and health);  Law No. 3/1992 on Workers Social Security; Law No. 40/2004 on National Social Security System (covering health security, work hazard security, old age security, pensioners’ security, death security); and the Ministeral Regulations No. 24/2006 regarding Guidelines for Implementing the Labor Social Security Program for workers outside work relationship.  But extension of coverage to HBWs is very limited. In order for  HBWs to  be reached and included in the coverage of legislations for workers, the NGOs must help them attain this, specially in improving their working conditions and obtaining health protection.

The Jamsostek (Indonesian labor law on social security) has some limitation as it covers only HBWs in the putting-out system. Similarly,  other laws do not provide adequate coverage and protection to HBWs.  As it is, HBWs have to pay contribution on their own if they want to be covered by social security. With their financial capacity, they cannot afford to stretch their meager income which is just enough or sometimes even lacking to support their most basic needs.

MWPRI’s action research looks into the access of HBWs to Jamsostek (social security for workers) and HWPRI is working towards a memorandum of understanding with the Health Technical Agency for free health care. The network is lobbying with the Ministry of Health to recognize coverage in the Askeskin program of HBWs  as workers instead of categorizing them as poor. Meanwhile, networking with stakeholders is a continuing activity. Future plans include  OSH training for NGOs and grassroots members and mapping of occupational hazards by sector/sub-sector.

LINKING OSH AND FAIR TRADE IN THE INDONESIAN CONTEXT
Cecilia Susiloretno(Homenet Indonesia)  ­ 

Globalization  gave rise to the growth of the informal sector by 400 percent in ten years (15% in 1995 to 68% in 2005)  and  increase in the number of Indonesian women HBWs. Said development resulted from policies that favored  import of cheaper product from other countries (garments, food, household utensils) and new technology that has overtaken the production of local traditional crafts. As in other Asian countries, the impact was stiffer competition among producers, fast growth of outsourcing employment, worsening or total absence of employer – employee relationship, lack of social protection/absence of social security and feminization of workers. The situation has gotten more difficult to rectify, much more, improve the economic and living conditions of the poor. The number of homebased workers, many of them women, increased tremendously. 

The informal sector is not the primary concern of Indonesian policies. But even in the formal sector, certain problems such as child labor, workers’ exploitation, lack of transparency and discrimination still prevail.
      In terms of fair trade issues, most HBWs in Indonesia lack the awareness, add to that the very bad working conditions and lack of transparency and dialogue between employer and employee.
     
However, it is not impossible to improve and uplift the conditions of HBWs in Indonesia. What is needed is a strong determination and good initiatives such as creating new models or approaches that shall appropriately address the needs of HBWs. MWPRI is also considering the option of starting from small initiatives like organizing a cooperative  and creating an OSH fund from the benefits derived; collecting health fund in each home; linking   local Community Health Centre and awareness raising on OSH as a component of  fair trade.

To date, MWPRI is currently undertaking participatory action research on: 1) Home Workers as members of  Workers Social Security (Jamsostek)  at selected provinces (Permenaker 24/2006); 2) Access to Health Care Insurance (Askeskin-Kepmenkes 332/2006) for home-based workers to be recognized s workers; 3) Advocacy  to the Ministry of Health with respect to Askeskin implementation by recognizing home workers as workers, instead  as the poor;  4) OSH Training for NGOs and Grassroots; 5) Networking with various stakeholders; 6) Mapping on occupational health hazard by sector/subsector and 7) further study of laws and legislations

MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZING:
THE HWPRI EXPERIENCE
Sutarti Sutarti 

Organizing as of now  is concentrated in  o one  province (East Java), with membership spread in 18   municipalities/regencies out of 38. From that number, a little over 3000 women home-workers have membership card and this number is expected to rise as more women are expected to turn in their registration applications.  The membership card shall have the following purpose: 1) to enhance visibility of women HBWs; 2) proof of being a worker (as homeworker); 3) proof of being organized ( belonging to HWPRI) to facilitate access to government/technical/agency of labor;  4) to obtain certain services,  such as  health services (popular during the pre-economic crisis in the nineties); 5) to raise self-esteem of women home-workers; 6) to develop proper sense of belongingness within HWPRI, and  7)for database development.

HWPRI is currently  in the process of building its data base but is encountering many difficulties. Women homebased workers applying for membership lack the  needed skills, such as writing, filling out registration forms, and obtaining photographs. There are also problems in accessing transportation and communication.

Future programs include organizing the data base and membership program of HWPRI to allow HBW access to social protection,  social security, and other benefits that will accrue to homebased workers.