4,500 workers in Medan demand higher wages, bonus
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan
Some 4,500 workers from 24 companies launched a strike here on Monday demanding better pay, fair treatment of layoff victims and higher Idul Fitri bonuses.
The striking workers, employed by companies operating in the nearby areas of Tanjung Morawa, Binjai, Mabar and Belawan, staged a rally at the North Sumatra governor's office. The workers, grouped under the Forum for All-North Sumatran Workers Unions, held the rally under the coordination of the Medan Independent Workers' Union.
The presence of the workers at the governor's office compound kept the office's security guards and police officers busy, especially after some of the workers tried to forcibly enter the office to meet Governor T. Rizal Nurdin.
Erika Rosmawati, Secretary General of the Medan Independent Workers' Union, told The Jakarta Post that they rejected the governor's decree on the provincial minimum wage of Rp 464,000 (US$45.5) and demanded that the minimum wage be based on a decent standard of living of Rp 1,023,876 or at least on the standard of subsistence of Rp 709.876 a month.
The workers also demanded that concerned agencies and institutions handle lay-off cases fairly and humanely. She did not elaborate, but said there were 1,700 lay-off cases at the PT Riza Mitra Garmen Factory, 530 cases at PT Glovindo, 100 cases at PT Industri Tata Cemerlang, 3 cases at PT Sumatera Rotaindo and 1 case at PT DMIOP.
The workers, according to Erika, also demanded that they be given an Idul Fitri bonus equal to two months salary.
"If the government and the businessmen do not respond to our wishes, then we will encourage all elements of the workers unions in this province to hold a massive strike," Erika said.
Erika further said that they were very disappointed at the gubernatorial decree fixing the minimum wage at Rp 464,000, "because the decision had never been discussed with them. None of the workers belonging to this workers union forum has been invited to discuss the minimum wage problem," she said.
Erika also criticized the Provincial Wage Council for not informing the workers forum about the new minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Thoga Sitorus, the secretary of the wage council, confirmed that they had not discussed the minimum wage with the forum. "We discussed it only with the sanctioned workers unions that have their principal organizations," Sitorus, who is also the acting chief of the North Sumatra provincial office of the Ministry of Manpower, said.
Regarding the minimum wage of Rp 464,000, Sitorus said that the amount was equivalent to the subsistence standard of living. "The wage council initially proposed only Rp 453,000 for the minimum wage to the governor. So, the governor's decision to raise it to Rp 464,000 is much fairer," he said.
Sakhyan Asmara, spokesman of the provincial administration, said that the amount of the minimum wage was arrived at after discussions with various parties, including employers and workers. "The decision had also been approved by the provincial legislative council," he added.
Commenting on the incident, Sitorus said that the workers had the right to stage a strike. "But if the strike was launched without the consent of the companies, then it was in violation of Law No. 22/1957 on labor disputes. Their companies could take action against them, like cutting their salaries," he said.