Indonesian domestic helpers in Hong Kong protest outside consulate against ‘overcharging’ by agencies
- Domestic helpers say even though employers will pay full administration costs they will also be charged more by agencies
- Recent statement by Indonesian Manpower Placement Agency Association caused confusion over who is responsible for costs
Dozens of Indonesian domestic helpers protested outside their country’s consulate in Hong Kong on Sunday to demand their government tackle “overcharging” by placement agencies that hit them and their employers.
The rally came as confusion reigned over who would have to pay extra costs after the Indonesian Manpower Placement Agency Association (Aspataki) said it would enforce rules introduced by Jakarta in 2020 and last year that employers had to foot the administrative bill when they hired new helpers.
But details on whether local bosses would have to pay the full HK$20,000 (US$2,558) remained unclear on Friday.
The Indonesian consulate and Hong Kong’s Labour Department said existing policies would be unchanged. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Thursday added Aspataki did not represent the Indonesian government.
Domestic helper Leni Sumarti, who has worked in Hong Kong for 20 years, was among the around 50 Indonesians at the Causeway Bay consulate for the protest.
The 43-year-old said she was rallying for workers and employers against agencies asking for more fees.
“We are here today because we want our money back,” she said.
“They suddenly implemented this without consulting us, but we are the ones who have to live and work with our employers every day. We feel like we are being traded like commodities.”
Fellow protester, who identified herself only by her nickname, Bimo, also 43, claimed recruitment firms would continue to demand fees from workers before they came to Hong Kong, despite collecting the full administrative fee from city employers.
“Actually, even though employers have to pay the agency about HK$20,000, we also still have to pay more than we used to,” she said.
“So in Indonesia, we have overcharging and employers also get overcharged.”
Bimo appealed to Indonesian and Hong Kong authorities to ensure both sides were not overcharged any more.
The helper also asked for greater transparency on what employees and employers paid the agencies for.
“For many years, there were no details,” she said.
“I know this because I asked my employer: ‘When you hired me, did the agency tell you what this money was for?’ She told me they didn’t say.”
The confusion started earlier this month when Indonesian agencies met Hong Kong labour officials and said they would enforce the new “zero fee” regulation for workers.
The regulations meant city employers needed to shoulder the full recruitment cost instead of paying their present share of HK$7,000 to HK$13,000. Helpers would supposedly only have to pay for training costs.
It was warned that employers who failed to follow the regulations might not have their applications processed.
Immigration Department figures showed about 338,000 foreign domestic helpers worked in the city in 2022, with Indonesians accounting for about 140,000 and Filipinos numbering more than 190,000.
