Labor strikes excessive, says officer<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior military official in East Java says
\nthat increasingly frequent worker demonstrations have become
\n\"excessive\" and might be masterminded by \"certain parties.\"<\/p>\n
Chief of the East Java Brawijaya regional military command
\nMaj. Gen. Imam Utomo was quoted by Antara as saying in Surabaya
\nyesterday that the demonstrations over minimum wage ruling were
\n\"unnatural\". He promised to investigate the matter further.<\/p>\n
He cited protests by workers of PT Pakerin, a paper company,
\nwho demanded that they be paid for 35 days a month.<\/p>\n
He also cited demonstrations by workers demanding an increase
\nin their wages despite the fact that their companies have applied
\nfor government permission to delay the implementation of the new
\nminimum wage ruling.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the workers might be protesting out of
\njealousy at other workers who had already got a raise. He said
\nthe companies' managers should have anticipated the possibility
\nof unrest among workers because of the raise.<\/p>\n
He said he had suggested that the office of the Coordinating
\nMinister for Industry and Trade Hartarto take steps to anticipate
\npossible demonstrations among workers in companies which have
\nbeen allowed to delay paying minimum wages.<\/p>\n
He also urged the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce to take stern
\naction against member companies who increase workers' wages but
\nscrap meal or transport allowances.<\/p>\n
\"But I hope the workers don't protest too much. Instead, they
\nshould go and air their grievances with the All-Indonesian
\nWorkers' Union Federation or the Ministry of Manpower,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We will help them to get their employers to listen to their
\nrequests,\" Imam added.<\/p>\n
A number of major cities in Indonesia have recently seen a
\nsurge in the number of protests over the recent ministerial
\nruling on the daily minimum wage.<\/p>\n
The ruling, outlined in a decree by Minister of Manpower Abdul
\nLatief, requires companies to calculate the minimum wage paid to
\nall workers, both permanent and temporary, at 30 days per month
\nas opposed to 25 days under the old regulation.<\/p>\n
The decree came into effect on April 1, just as the government
\nwas hiking daily minimum wages by an average of 10 percent. The
\nnew nationwide minimum wage level is Rp 4,072 (US$ 1.8) per day
\non average.<\/p>\n
This still does not meet workers' minimum daily needs, an
\nexpert has recently said.<\/p>\n
A total of 365 companies have requested exemption from the new
\nruling, citing financial difficulties. Of them, 52 have been
\ngranted permission. (31\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/labor-strikes-excessive-says-officer-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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