Batam workers protest minimum wage proposal

Fadli, The Jakarta Post/Batam

Some 8,000 workers staged a big protest on Saturday in Batam municipality, which is believed to have been the biggest protest on the island in the past four years.

During the protest, the workers gathered at the Riau Islands gubernatorial offices and demanded that the governor reject a proposal that would set the provincial minimum wage at Rp 635,000 (US$70.5) for 2005, which they said was far from enough.

The workers came from three industrial estates in Batam city, namely Batamindo, Batu Ampar and Tanjung Uncang, and packed the streets around the Batam Center, where the gubernatorial offices are located. Due to the protest, Jl. Engku Putri, which is the main street in the Batam Center, was closed for three hours.

Deny Rifa'i, a protest steward, said that the protest was the result of an accumulation of discontent among workers over the past three years. "The government has always set the amount of the minimum wage very low, and it is never enough to support ourselves and our families," said Deny.

The proposal for the 2005 minimum wage was submitted on October 29 and if it is agreed to by the governor in the near future, then it will take effect in January next year.

The proposal has already been endorsed by local government officials, and employer and worker representatives.

However, the protesters said that the suggested that the new minimum wage was less than the average cost of living for workers in the city.

According to the latest survey by the Indonesian Metal Workers' Federation, to lead a reasonable life a single worker in Batam would need Rp 728,000 (US$80.80) per month.

"The government needs to raise the level of the minimum wage to match the cost of living identified in the survey," said Deny.

Saturday's protest went off peacefully, with a number of government officials meeting the workers. A number of speeches were made by the workers' leaders during the protest. The workers also unfurled banners and held aloft placards rejecting the minimum wage proposal.

After few hours, the workers dispersed peacefully following a promise by a government official that the governor would decide on the matter by next week at the latest.

Separately, the chairman of the Batam branch of the Indonesian Employer's Association (Apindo), Abidin, said that the proposed hike was fair and should not be changed. "The proposal has been agreed, including by the representatives of workers themselves. It is final. The workers should also think about the ability of companies to pay them. Companies could go bankrupt if they have to pay higher salaries to workers," he said.