City hires unemployed workers

City hires unemployed workers

JAKARTA (JP): The city is to employ an additional 5,000
unskilled workers per month from January to tackle rising
unemployment caused by the economic and monetary crisis, an
official said yesterday.

The work programs, based on President Soeharto's order for
creating labor intensive projects during the crisis, would be
carried out for three months after which they would be evaluated,
said Vice Governor for Economic and Financial Affairs Harun Al
Rasyid.

"The workers will be hired to work on the city's drainage
system, including waterwork repairs, river dredgings and
renovations of dikes and canals, which are all so important to
prevent floods during the current rainy season," Harun said.

Soeharto ordered Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief on Monday
to seek ways to employ workers, especially in the construction
sector in Jakarta and Surabaya, in the lead up to Christmas, the
Ramadhan fasting month and Idul Fitri.

A large number of blue-collar workers here have lost their
jobs due to their companies' cash flow problems during the severe
economic turmoil.

According to Harun, the first 5,000 workers would be evenly
dispatched to all five of the city's mayoralties.

He said the expenditures for the program, which would come
from the state budget, had not been calculated yet.

"The workers will be paid at least the minimum wage here,"
Harun said.

The city's monthly minimum wage is set at Rp 172,500
(US$35.20) per person.

Harun stressed that the workers involved in the labor
intensive projects would be carefully selected.

Unskilled workers from outside Jakarta would not be allowed to
join the program, he said.

"There is usually plenty of agricultural work available in
villages during the rainy season," said Harun.

Based on data from the city's manpower agency, the number of
unskilled workers here is 435,000. (ind)