Cleaners complain of being underpaid

JAKARTA (JP): Employees of cleaning service firms who work at City Hall have complained that they are paid far less than the minimum wage set by the city administration.

"I have been working at City Hall for almost three years, but my salary is still Rp 220,000 a month," one cleaner, who asked not to be named, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

The father of two children said he relied on tips from councillors or other officials as his salary was not enough to feed his family.

Some other cleaning service employees said that they were paid between Rp 180,000 and Rp 240,000 a month without transportation or other allowances.

The official monthly minimum wage for Jakarta workers is Rp 426,000 (US$47.3).

Hundreds of employees working for 13 cleaning service firms currently clean the 24-story City Hall and the four-story City Council building.

Councillor Tadjus Sobirin of the council's Commission E for welfare affairs said that some cleaners had often approached him to complain about their low salary.

Tadjus, who is former chairman of Golkar's city chapter, urged the administration to order the firms to pay their employees according to the regulations.

"It's inhumane. The administration should handle its own affairs better, such cleaning service employees," Tadjus told reporters.

Commenting on the issue, the city's General Affairs Office head Margani said later in the day that city administration might cancel its contracts with service firms found paying their employees less than the official minimum wage.

He said that before signing a contract, the administration always required firms to pay their employees according to the government regulation.

"We could review the contracts or, next year, not ask them to clean City Hall if we find them paying their employees unsatisfactorily," Margani said.

According to Labor Law No. 14/1969, the owner of a company found guilty of paying less than the minimum wage is subject to a maximum Rp 100,000 fine or three months in prison.

The regulation, however, appears to be ineffective because of weak enforcement and the small fine.

Last year, a new labor law was enforced, but it was shortly withdrawn for revision following protests from workers as the law was said to favor employers.(jun)