Cleaning services told to adjust wages

Cleaning services told to adjust wages

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration issued a ruling on
Tuesday that all cleaning service companies operating at City
Hall should immediately adopt the central government-established
new minimum regional wage (UMR) of Rp 286,000 (US$38) per month
for their workers.

Head of City General Affairs Office Saidin Murkana said that
currently the workers were paid Rp 7,700 for each working day.

"With this new ruling, the companies must pay the full amount
of the minimum wage, regardless of the workers' working days,"
Saidin said in a written statement.

By working five days a week, the workers currently receive
only between Rp 165,000 to Rp 192,500 a month. The amount is even
lower than current minimum wage of Rp 231,000 a month.

The new minimum regional wage will take effect on April 1.

"There won't be any excuses for the companies to evade the new
UMR. The companies still have time to adjust their workers' wage
payments, as to avoid any commotion among the workers if the
companies fail to comply with the regulation," he said.

Saidin said there were 22 cleaning service companies employing
400 workers at City Hall. They included air conditioner and lift
maintenance workers, as well as workers taking care of the park
and the lawn at the complex.

Saidin also said the new wage was intended to improve workers'
welfare and dignity as well as wealth distribution. "The new wage
is also important to lessen the social gap," he added.

In a separate development, the City Manpower Agency organized
a training session for housemaids at the National Library
Auditorium on Jl. Salemba Raya, Central Jakarta.

"Most housemaids don't get proper treatment from society and
their employers even though their services are badly needed," the
agency's head, Sukesti Martono, said in a written statement read
by the head of the housemaids welfare subagency, Haris Abidin.

There are 250 housemaids from the city's five mayoralties
participating in the training session.

"The agency's surveys show that most of the housemaids only
have an elementary education background so they can't defend
their own rights," Sukesti said.

"That's why the agency conducts this training to improve the
image of their profession," he added.

Sukesti said it was the city administration's goal to improve
its residents' living conditions, including that of housemaids.

"The city administration has issued City Bylaw No. 3/1999 on
Housemaids Training to help increase their welfare and provide
better protection," he said, while pointing to cases such as
brokerage, physical violence, sexual harassment and swindles.

Sukesti said such cases could happen due to the housemaids'
lack of education and skills. (nvn)