P2MI Bill, Government Regulates the Placement of Employment Attaches Abroad

The Legislative Body (Badan Legislasi– “ Baleg ”) of the House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat– “ DPR ”) has approved the Draft Law (Rancangan Undang-Undang– “ RUU ”) for the third amendment to Law No. 18 of 2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (“ P2MI Law ”) to be further discussed in a plenary session. A total of 29 amendments have been agreed upon by Baleg, one of which concerns provisions regarding Employment Attaches (Atase Ketenagakerjaan– “ Atnaker ”) abroad. These provisions cover placement, industrial relations, supervision, and worker training, including matters related to Indonesian Migrant Workers (Pekerja Migran Indonesia– “ PMI ”).

“Atnaker are considered important because P2MI will have a direct extension to focus on the protection of migrant workers abroad. On the other hand, it also does not burden the duties and functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” said a Baleg expert staff of the DPR, who refused to be named, to Hukumonline.

Currently, Atnaker are only stationed in Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Amman, Bandar Seri Begawan, Damascus, Doha, Seoul, and Singapore. Meanwhile, labor affairs in Hong Kong and Jeddah are handled solely by Technical Labor Staff.

In accordance with their function, Atnaker are responsible for protecting and placing PMI in their respective placement countries. They also play a role in identifying job opportunities in other potential placement countries.

“So, the provisions regarding Atnaker will remain under the coordination and authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The target is to implement this within the year,” he concluded.