Street workers go on strike<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Some 400 temporary workers of the Bogor sanitation
\nagency went on strike on Thursday, demanding wage increases equal
\nto the official regional minimum wage (UMR) plus several basic
\nallowances.<\/p>\n
The protesters, including truck drivers, street sweepers and
\ngarbage workers, said the money they received monthly from the
\nagency -- between Rp 90,000 and Rp 105,000 -- was far from enough
\nto meet their living costs.<\/p>\n
\"Such a wage is of course inadequate for living today even
\nthough there's still a (monthly) allowance of Rp 4,000 for those
\nwho perform well,\" truck driver Syamsudin said.<\/p>\n
The regional minimum wage in Bogor has been set at Rp 270,000
\nsince last month from the previous rate of Rp 230,000.<\/p>\n
According to Syamsudin, the agency sets the monthly wages
\nbased on the educational background of the workers, namely Rp
\n90,000 for elementary school graduates, Rp 97,000 for junior high
\nschool graduates while senior high school graduates receive Rp
\n105,000 per month.<\/p>\n
The agency even cuts Rp 2,000 every month from the small
\namount of money, saying that it's used for the workers'
\ncooperatives.<\/p>\n
The striking workers also demanded the agency promote their
\nstatus to become civil servants so that they are eligible for
\nseveral government-sponsored subsidies, such as for health care.<\/p>\n
In response to the workers demands, the agency's head Hari
\nHarsono said that his office could understand the workers'
\nproblems, adding that he would take the matter seriously.<\/p>\n
But, he insisted, the workers have no rights to ask the agency
\nto pay them based on the UMR rate since they are not employees of
\na private company.<\/p>\n
The sanitary agency employs 117 civil servants and 409
\ntemporary workers.<\/p>\n
Hari said that their wages had actually been raised to between
\nRp 90,000 and Rp 120,000 from between Rp 60,000 to Rp 90,000
\npreviously.<\/p>\n
\"If they want to become civil servants they must pass certain
\ntests,\" he said.(21\/ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/street-workers-go-on-strike-1447893297",
"image": ""
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