Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam agreed, during a bilateral meeting last week, to improve the system of placing and protecting Indonesian domestic helpers employed in Brunei, a manpower ministry official said.

The governments of the two countries are currently drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the placement and protection of Indonesian domestic helpers working in Brunei, Director of Overseas Labor Placement of the Manpower Ministry Soes Hindharno said here on Monday.

"The discussion about the MoU is important for the two countries, particularly in providing certainty to Indonesian migrant workers, employers and placement agencies in each country," he said.

At the bilateral meeting held in Jakarta on November 9-10, both countries agreed to several points about the discussion to be included in the draft MoU, he said.

The points included the rights and obligations of Indonesian migrant workers, employers and private placement agencies in the two countries, he said.

"In general, the two delegations have agreed to most of the contents of the draft MoU. This is progress in the negotiation process. Articles (of the draft MoU) deal with the rights and obligations of Indonesian workers, employers and placement agencies," he said.

These rights include salaries, hours of rest, a six-day working week, leave, contract periods, cost structures and procedures for filing complaints in case of disputes, he said.

The three suspended points will be discussed in Brunei Darussalam next year, he said.

He noted that Indonesian domestic helpers employed in Brunei Darussalam have not had many problems with their employers in the past, as the two countries share a similar culture.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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