MTUC proposes three-pronged anti-maid abuse measure
Its president, Senator Zainal Rampak said the regulatory authorities could be the human resources ministry or the women, family and community development ministry.
"The maids should be interviewed in private in the absence of their employers," reports Bernama.
He said there should be a national register of foreign maids to be maintained by the human resources ministry, containing all contact particulars of foreign maids employed in the country.
The register, to be regularly updated, would enable enforcement agencies such as the police and immigration officials to effectively and quickly track down errant employers found to have abused their maids and institute legal proceedings against them.
He said the ministry of human resources and the home affairs ministry could also impose enforceable, non-negotiable conditions on employers applying to employ foreign maids.
"These conditions, among others, should include payment of wages, hours of work, weekly rest days, freedom of worship, medical and health care, insurance coverage against death and physical disability, and safe repatriation to their home country upon completion of their employment contracts with full separation benefits," he added.
Zainal said MTUC expressed its strongest objections to the inhuman treatment meted out to Indonesian maid, Nirmala Bonat by her merciless employer as highlighted in the media.
He said the employer should be given the most severe punishment under the law to serve as a strong deterrent against others.
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