Maid and Driver's Salary for 2011

[Howie]

Not withstanding the salary issue, the implication that Indonesians are dirty, lazy, and incompetent is way beyond the pale.

I honestly didn't get that wa. I assumed it was like most other countries. When you have an industry (domestic service) that generally allows unskilled entry for workers, you are more likely to attract the lower end (from an education and experience standpoint) of the society's work force. I think the statement withstands the global test and is not specific to Indonesians.

[Puspawarna]

For expats wanting to pay less than Rp1mil you get someone with little experience, who scratches her unwashed head and doesn't wash her hands before making you a sandwich, wipes the spills on the floor with the dish cloth, bleaches holes in your laundry and wants a loan every other month.

Speaking as a poster, I have to agree that while kedua's remarks may not have been intended to sound racist, the bolded part is suggestive of some attitudes and assumptions I do not share or condone. A young girl who has never worked before (much less for expats, who may have a few different procedures than the locals), has limited education, and is from an impoverished background may well need training to understand principles of hygiene and why they are important, and she'll certainly need help distinguishing among cleaning products and how to use them properly. She may also view her employers as wealthy beyond imagining. But that doesn't make her inherently dirty, stupid, ignorant, or greedy. While I doubt that kedua meant to imply that poor Indonesians automatically have these nasty traits, the post could certainly be read that way.

[Puspawarna]

By the way, just to be clear, by saying that expats may have different procedures than the locals, I don't mean "to a higher standard", I just mean "different." Whether you like your rice cooked dry or moist, whether you are more likely to put tissues or paper napkins on the table, whether you prefer a broom or a vacuum cleaner - that sort of thing.

[jim69]

jim69: I missed how do you give your maids an education when they are working for you?

As you are openly criticize others, perhaps you would like to explain to all how much you pay your maid(s) and what education you are giving them.

[jim69]

I guess that's a no then.

[Bumblebee]

Jim69,I respect that you have good intention to help your maid with her education,but if I may give an idea,the education not have to be the formal one,you know like send them to gain more knowledge in some courses, some kind Cooking,health service,tailoring,beauty salon,language (if they have an interest on these thing) .It will be really useful also for their future,perhaps faster get the benefit and pride rather than the formal education

[mer2012]

from what i 've read here, I can conclude that maids which can be employed very2 cheaply are those who are underaged chicks around 14-17, as someone has testified here,,,, a-14-year-old chick with pay of a-400k-ish,,, and vErY haPPy with that,,,,,, congrats for the happiness!!!! fortunately I m old enaugh than 14 yo so I m not in a cheap exploitation,,,,,

(smileys: to reduce 99% deleted possibility)

[mer2012]

Almost as insulting as a pathetic salary.

reaLLy pathetiC,,,,,,,,,,,

[mer2012]

I absolutely agree you get what you pay for. For expats wanting to pay less than Rp1mil you get someone with little experience, who scratches her unwashed head and doesn't wash her hands before making you a sandwich, wipes the spills on the floor with the dish cloth, bleaches holes in your laundry and wants a loan every other month.

agree.........

[waarmstrong]

I honestly didn't get that wa. I assumed it was like most other countries. When you have an industry (domestic service) that generally allows unskilled entry for workers, you are more likely to attract the lower end (from an education and experience standpoint) of the society's work force. I think the statement withstands the global test and is not specific to Indonesians.

That's certainly true. Unskilled workers cannot command a premium salary. That truism was not the crux of my objection to the characterization. That characterization would be that unskilled = dirty, lazy, i.e. unwilling to learn and lacking in basic competence i.e. untrainable.

Beyond the inappropriate reference to a young employee as a "chick," I find it puzzling that another poster would deride a young unskilled girl for starting at the bottom work-wise. The reality here is that an education is difficult to come-by in many small villages and even in some urban settings. There are more than a few domestic workers among expat households now making a living and supporting a family who probably started in their clueless teens where someone was willing to provide OJT.