Launch of skills training initiative for domestic workers: Improving domestic workers’ job quality and standards

Many domestic workers endure very poor working conditions, many are underpaid, have no social security coverage, work long hours, in difficult and not always in safe conditions. Some are even vulnerable to the threat of trafficking, sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

Press release | Malang, East Java, Indonesia | 04 August 2017
MALANG (Joint Press Release) – Many domestic workers endure very poor working conditions, many are underpaid, have no social security coverage, work long hours, in difficult and not always in safe conditions. Some are even vulnerable to the threat of trafficking, sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

To continue improving domestic workers’ job quality and standards, the Institute for Societal and Development Studies (LPKP), an NGO deals with domestic workers and JARAK, an NGO network for child labour, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), is launching the skill training programme in Malang, East Java on 6 August 2017. The launch will be conducted by the Head of Malang Regency, Rendra Kresna.

We hope that more and more domestic workers can participate in the training as domestic work is an important source of employment for millions of women and men, dominantly women. Through this skills and capacities development, we hope that domestic work will be recognized as work and domestic workers will be respected like any other workers."

Anwar Solihin, Director of LPKP
The main goal of the skills training programme is to improve and standardize job skills of in-country Indonesian domestic workers. It is also aimed to improve the recognition and work standard of domestic workers and to enhance their employability as well as the living and working conditions.

To ensure the sustainability of this skills training programme for domestic workers, the District Government of Malang is now in the process of developing and finalizing the Regent Regulation on Competency Improvement for Women Domestic Workers in Malang. By having this regulation, the training programme would be continued and replicated to other areas of Malang by the local government using its own budget.

“Drawing from the successfulness of the previous skills training programme, the ILO is very pleased to see the continuation of this important skills training programme for domestic workers. The ILO is also very pleased with the commitment shown by the local government to continuously improve the status of domestic worker as a recognized profession. This, in turn, would improve domestic workers’ employability and prospects for better employment condition,” said Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director of ILO in Indonesia.

This training programme delivers high-quality benchmarked training using the National Work Competence Standard (SKKNI) for Domestic Work which was developed based on the SKKNI of the Government of Indonesia for Individual Service Serving Household adopted in 2015. Some elements of the ILO’s Regional Model Competency Standard (RMCS) had also been used in the 2015 SKKNI.

Drawing from the successfulness of the previous skills training programme, the ILO is very pleased to see the continuation of this important skills training programme for domestic workers. The ILO is also very pleased with the commitment shown by the local government to continuously improve the status of domestic worker as a recognized profession. This, in turn, would improve domestic workers’ employability and prospects for better employment condition."

Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director of ILO in Indonesia
Meanwhile, Anwar Solihin, Director of LPKP, said that from 90 domestic workers participated in the pilot training programmes had taken and passed the certification examination. They have also witnessed improvements in the way they do their routine domestic works as well as better bargaining position and better wages.

“We hope that more and more domestic workers can participate in the training as domestic work is an important source of employment for millions of women and men, dominantly women. Through this skills and capacities development, we hope that domestic work will be recognized as work and domestic workers will be respected like any other workers,” he added.

Around 100 domestic workers from four communities in Malang will participate in the second-batch of skills training programme. The programme covers 150 mandatory learning hours, consisting of housekeeping, family cooking, laundry and core competency on self-development. The programme also combines in-class with practical trainings that are conducted during weekend for 4.5 month.

The training instructors are LPKP staffs who are already received competence certifications on Methodology and Housekeeping/Cooking Technique from the National Institution for Profession Certification (BNSP).

The launch of this skills training will be concluded with the Declaration of the Domestic Workers Union named the Association of Revolutionary Work Movement (Asosiasi Gerakan Revolusi Kerja/Anggrek Maya). This association has united 12 domestic workers groups with a total of 177 domestic workers across Malang Raya covering Malang District, Malang City and Batu City areas.

It is hoped that through this association, domestic workers can strengthen their campaigns and efforts to promote decent work for domestic workers and the elimination of child domestic labour.

For further information please contact:

Abdul Syukur
Staff of LPKP Malang
Mobile: +62812 3479 981
Email: syukurlpkp@gmail.com

Irfan Affandi
Staff of the ILO-PROMOTE Project in East Java
Mobile: +62811 3576 875
Email: irfan@ilo.org