SURABAYA (ILO News): The International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with the Provincial Board for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers, will organize a one-day workshop on insurance policies for migrant workers, titled “Insurance Policies for Migrant Workers: Current Practices, Gaps and Solutions”, on Tuesday, 14 July, at Shangrila Hotel, Surabaya, East Java, from 09.00 to 16.00.

The workshop will be officially opened by the Head of Provincial Manpower Officer in East Java, Mr Indra Wiraguna, and Deputy Director of the ILO in Indonesia, Mr Peter van Rooij. The workshop is conducted by the ILO through its Cross-Border Labour Migration Project, funded by the Government of Japan.

The aims of this workshop are to assess the strength and weaknesses of the insurance and claims system for Indonesian migrant workers as well as to examine the role of insurance consortiums and the employment agencies in providing insurance for migrant workers. The workshop also provides a forum for dialogue to point the way forward in terms of policies on insurance and claim schemes.

The workshop will examine the impact of the economic crisis on insurance policy and migrant workers, the existing insurance mechanisms and the protection schemes, as well as the procedures for insurance claims and the current payment practices. The workshop will also identify possible strategies to simplify the current insurance procedures and practices for Indonesian migrant workers.

Till date, there are five appointed insurance consortiums for Indonesian migrant workers, as mandated by the Manpower Minister Decree No. 23 of 2008 on Insurance Scheme for Indonesian Workers. In addition, all employment agencies are obliged to provide insurance for their prospective migrant workers. The insurance provided should cover all stages of the migration process, from the pre-departure to the reintegration phase and the insurance policy should be kept by the migrant workers or their families for claiming process.

However, in spite of these requirements, many migrant workers neither receive information about their insurance rights, nor about the insurance and claim procedures overseas and in Indonesia. Additionally, when trying to claim insurance compensation, many migrant workers complain that excessively bureaucratic claims procedures pose obstacles to effectively qualifying for compensation.

The workshop will be attended by around 50 invitees from government, migrant workers unions, employment agencies, consortiums, and academia.

For further information please contact:

Muhamad Nour
Local Project Coordinator of Migrant Workers in Surabaya
Tel. +6231 5356363
Email

Gita Lingga
Media Officer
Tel. +6221 3913112 ext. 115
Email