2009/09/10
C.I.A.S, Shah Alam
WE must meet the demand for days off for Indonesian maids. We must allow Indonesian maids to keep their passports. We must agree to a minimum wage for the maids, which is to be higher than current wages.
We already provide medical coverage, clothes, utilities, personal items, food and lodging -- all expenses to the employer, but at no cost to the maids. The latest of such demands is for a minimum wage of RM800.
It would seem that we have and will be agreeing to each and every demand made, regardless of reasonableness.
For example, although rest days are simply humane working conditions, we will then be paying the maids for their days off by providing food and lodging while they laze around the house watching TV in their rooms or spend the day shopping -- in addition to paying them higher monthly wages.
Let me share just one of my many experiences with Indonesian maids -- my previous maid ran away.
At home, she had plenty of opportunities to rest during the daytime and even ate before us at dinner to avoid waiting in hunger.
We took her to shopping malls and we let her choose her own food at restaurants.
To treat her ailments, we paid for all medical expenses including specialist treatment, in just the first few months of her employment.
We rarely, if ever, woke the maid up at night when the baby needed to be changed. Indeed, the only person in our household who consistently got a full night's rest was the maid. Not us, the working parents.
All this would be fine if we had a competent maid.
We did not. Often, we had to do much of the housework ourselves as she was slow and unskilled in completing even the most basic household chores, not to mention having to monitor her closely at all times.
Replacing a maid is expensive, regardless of her level of incompetence.
Imagine getting a less than helpful maid and having to pay the demanded minimum wage. A lose-lose situation for the employer.
Whatever the case may be, it ended with her ransacking the drawers for her passport and fleeing.
Her permit has been cancelled and proposed new regulations mean that she will not be allowed to work in Malaysia again -- assuming she uses the same travel documents the next time around.
In the meantime, perhaps she is still working in the country. The score so far: Maid 1: Employer 0.
Indonesian maids seem to have gained rather fantastic employment terms through this round of negotiations, all things considered.
Perhaps, it is about time for us to start negotiating for a better deal for employers, too.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar