Promoting decent work for homeworkers in Indonesia: Homeworkers are workers!
Home work is not a new phenomenon in Indonesia and although national statistics on the prevalence of home work do not exist, a number of focused studies in East Java reveal that significant numbers of women and men are engaged in this type of work. The term ‘homeworker’ is used to refer to industrial outworkers who carry out paid work from their home, for firms/business or their intermediaries, typically on a piece-rate basis.
JAKARTA (ILO News): Home work is not a new phenomenon in Indonesia and although national statistics on the prevalence of home work do not exist, a number of focused studies in East Java reveal that significant numbers of women and men are engaged in this type of work. The term ‘homeworker’ is used to refer to industrial outworkers who carry out paid work from their home, for firms/business or their intermediaries, typically on a piece-rate basis.
Because home work is performed within the home, and often in isolation from other workers and the local community, home work tends to be invisible to the public eye. Home work is largely undertaken by poor women, of all ages. These women are engaged through informal employment practices with insufficient protection. This type of work also often involves the assistance of children and can sometimes lead to child labour.
In efforts to further recognize the rights of homeworkers as workers in Indonesia, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office in Indonesia, in collaboration with Ministry of Manpower, will organize a national seminar titled “Recognizing the Rights of Home Workers as Workers” on Tuesday, 17 June, at Tri Dharma, Ministry of Manpower, Jakarta. The event, which will be officially opened by the Minister of Manpower M. Hanif Dhakiri, marks the 19th year anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 177 on Home Work which provide standards to recognize the rights of homeworkers. The Convention on Home Work is supplemented by a Recommendation, which sets out specific internationally agreed provisions designed to serve as guidelines as to how the national policy on home work should be implemented.
The seminar is part of a series of advocacy activities conducted by the ILO through its Access to Employment and Decent Work (MAMPU) Project. The Project is part of the Empowering Indonesian Women for Poverty Reduction Programme (Maju Perempuan Indonesia untuk Penanggulangan Kemiskinan – MAMPU), funded by the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of National Development Planning. The Project aims to promote decent work for homeworkers at both policy making and community levels in five targeted areas: North Sumatera, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java provinces.
The seminar aims to raise the public awareness about the existence of homeworkers in the country and to recognize their rights as workers. The seminar also provides a venue to exchange opportunities and challenges in addressing homeworkers related issues and to strengthen the commitment among relevant stakeholders as a way to move forward with better protection for homeworkers.
“Nineteen years after the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 177, the goal to provide decent work for homeworkers still has a long way to go. Despite the growing practice of home work in the era of globalization and flexible labour market, home work still remains invisible. The commemoration of the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 177, is a good opportunity to remind all stakeholders to take strategic actions in improving the lives of homeworkers in Indonesia,” said Michiko Miyamoto, the ILO Officer-in-Charge for Indonesia.
While home work can be an important source of income for workers who are home-based, they are particularly vulnerable because they do not know their rights and mechanisms to have their voice heard. It can also bring benefits to employers as they can minimize production risks and costs significantly including costs for maintaining production sites and equipment.
A series of hearings on home work with relevant stakeholders were conducted prior to the seminar on 16 June.
For further information regarding home workers, please refer to the home workers webpage.
National Programme Manager for Gender, Organizing and Advocacy of the ILO-MAMPU Project
Tel.: +6221 3913112 ext. 120
Email
Hirania Wiryasti
National Programme Manager for Monitoring & Evaluation and Knowledge Sharing of ILO-MAMPU Project
Tel.: +6221 3913112 ext. 128
Email
Gita Lingga
Media Relation Officer
Tel.: +6221 39139112 ext.115
Email
Because home work is performed within the home, and often in isolation from other workers and the local community, home work tends to be invisible to the public eye. Home work is largely undertaken by poor women, of all ages. These women are engaged through informal employment practices with insufficient protection. This type of work also often involves the assistance of children and can sometimes lead to child labour.
Nineteen years after the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 177, the goal to provide decent work for homeworkers still has a long way to go. Despite the growing practice of home work in the era of globalization and flexible labour market, home work still remains invisible. The commemoration of the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 177, is a good opportunity to remind all stakeholders to take strategic actions in improving the lives of homeworkers in Indonesia."
Michiko Miyamoto, Officer-in-Charge of the ILO in Indonesia
The seminar is part of a series of advocacy activities conducted by the ILO through its Access to Employment and Decent Work (MAMPU) Project. The Project is part of the Empowering Indonesian Women for Poverty Reduction Programme (Maju Perempuan Indonesia untuk Penanggulangan Kemiskinan – MAMPU), funded by the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of National Development Planning. The Project aims to promote decent work for homeworkers at both policy making and community levels in five targeted areas: North Sumatera, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java provinces.
The seminar aims to raise the public awareness about the existence of homeworkers in the country and to recognize their rights as workers. The seminar also provides a venue to exchange opportunities and challenges in addressing homeworkers related issues and to strengthen the commitment among relevant stakeholders as a way to move forward with better protection for homeworkers.
“Nineteen years after the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 177, the goal to provide decent work for homeworkers still has a long way to go. Despite the growing practice of home work in the era of globalization and flexible labour market, home work still remains invisible. The commemoration of the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 177, is a good opportunity to remind all stakeholders to take strategic actions in improving the lives of homeworkers in Indonesia,” said Michiko Miyamoto, the ILO Officer-in-Charge for Indonesia.
While home work can be an important source of income for workers who are home-based, they are particularly vulnerable because they do not know their rights and mechanisms to have their voice heard. It can also bring benefits to employers as they can minimize production risks and costs significantly including costs for maintaining production sites and equipment.
A series of hearings on home work with relevant stakeholders were conducted prior to the seminar on 16 June.
For further information regarding home workers, please refer to the home workers webpage.
For further information please contact:
Agnes GurningNational Programme Manager for Gender, Organizing and Advocacy of the ILO-MAMPU Project
Tel.: +6221 3913112 ext. 120
Hirania Wiryasti
National Programme Manager for Monitoring & Evaluation and Knowledge Sharing of ILO-MAMPU Project
Tel.: +6221 3913112 ext. 128
Gita Lingga
Media Relation Officer
Tel.: +6221 39139112 ext.115