Women, workers, humans: the road to decent working conditions for domestic workers in Indonesia

This study focuses on the exploration of the understanding of decent working conditions for domestic workers in Indonesia. The concept of decent working conditions as defined by the International Labour Organization is extensively used in this study. Through a qualitative approach, ten Indonesian domestic workers were interviewed, of whom four are affiliated with the union and six are not. The findings of this study reveal that there are similarities and differences among these Indonesian workers about their understanding of decent working conditions, especially for those who are part of the union and those who are not. Nevertheless, they share one commonality: financial difficulties made them enter the domestic worker job sector. While many believe a standard salary can be considered a decent working environment, after a thorough exploration, these Indonesian domestic workers also have other needs, such as being able to work in a safe environment without any mental harassment and having time off and holidays. The contribution of the union to shaping the understanding of decent working conditions for domestic workers is also discussed in this study. Lastly, the most interesting finding is that being included in the family, according to Indonesian domestic workers, is important, and they consider this as decent. In conclusion, these findings created a big question: “What is the real definition of decent work conditions?”