All quiet on the labor front, official says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The increase in the minimum wage levels in nine
\nprovinces on Aug. 1 went into effect without any real trouble, a
\nsenior official of the Ministry of Manpower said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"We've been monitoring the situation over the last two weeks
\nand found no companies in the nine provinces to be violating
\nminimum wage regulations,\" Director General for Industrial
\nRelations and Labor Standards Soewarto said during a regular
\ndiscussion with journalists at his office yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"If there were companies breaking the minimum wage
\nregulations, workers would have gone on strike or lodged protests
\nwith the Ministry of Manpower,\" Soewarto said.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, there is no reason why companies would want to
\npostpone the adjustment of workers wages given they were notified
\nof the hikes four months in advance.\"<\/p>\n
He said he summoned heads of the provincial manpower offices
\nin the nine provinces two weeks ago to ensure the enforcement of
\nthe increase.<\/p>\n
The nine provinces -- Aceh, North Sumatra, Jambi, South
\nSumatra, Lampung, West Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and
\nIrian Jaya-- raised the daily minimum wages between 19 and 35
\npercent, beginning Aug. 1.<\/p>\n
In Aceh and Maluku, the minimum wage was raised to Rp 3,100
\nwhile in North Sumatra, the site of massive workers protests in
\nApril, it was raised to Rp 3,750.<\/p>\n
In Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Lampung the new
\nminimum wage level is now set at Rp 3,000. In East Nusa Tenggara
\nthe new minimum wage is Rp 2,500, and in Irian Jaya Rp 4,500.<\/p>\n
The other 18 provinces raised their minimum wage levels in
\nJanuary and April.<\/p>\n
Protests<\/p>\n
The hikes in the minimum wages in Jakarta and West Java,
\nenforced in January, were greeted with protests from both
\nemployers and workers. Employers there delayed putting the new
\nwages into effect, complaining that they were not given enough
\nnotice. This then prompted workers to stage strikes to demand on
\ncompliance.<\/p>\n
The months of January and February saw the largest number of
\nworkers' strikes in Indonesia this year. It declined only after
\nthe government threatened to severely punish employers for non-
\ncompliance.<\/p>\n
Soewarto said that, beginning next April, the increase in
\nregional minimum wages would be made simultaneously nationwide.<\/p>\n
The minimum wage levels beginning next year will also be at
\nleast equal to what is perceived to be the workers' minimum
\nliving requirements, estimated based on the cost of living in
\neach province.<\/p>\n
Soewarto said that there will be no excuses for companies not
\ncomplying with the hikes in the minimum wages next year.<\/p>\n
\"Companies can already anticipate and avoid conflicts with
\ntheir workers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soewarto also denied that the labor legislation in Indonesia
\nis not adequate in protecting the interests of workers.<\/p>\n
\"Even foreign investors are complaining that Indonesian
\nworkers are over-protected. They want the government to let the
\nindustrial relations develop in accordance to the free market
\nmechanism,\" he said. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/all-quiet-on-the-labor-front-official-says-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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