Depok workers paid below minimum wages

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State-owned insurance firm PT Jamsostek announced on Thursday that 13 companies in Depok, West Java, were paying their workers less than the local monthly minimum wage of Rp 681,804 (US$71.7).

PT Jamsostek's Depok office director Supardi said that the 13 companies paid their workers only between Rp 95,000 and Rp 576,000 per month.

"We have sent a letter to the Depok Social Affairs and Labor Agency as well as to the Depok council so that they can check out the cases," he said.

According to PT Jamsostek, the 13 companies are PT Minuman SAP, PT Karyana Plastik Industri, PT Central Star, PT Tromotex Industrial, PT Mayer Indah Indonusa, PT Indira Mustika, PT Mayer Crodile, PT Dewa Citra, PT Citra Dinasti, PT Genggong Village, Bhakti Yudha Hospital, PT Golden Agin and PT Jupiter Semesta Utama.

Supardi said that manpower protection legislation stipulated that the directors of a firm that paid its workers less than the minimum wage could be imprisoned for up to 6 months or ordered to pay a maximum fine of Rp 50 million.

"They should increase the wages they pay their workers if they don't want to get punished," he said.

Supardi also complained that out of 700 companies in Depok, only 209 firms participated in Jamsostek's worker protection program.

"The workers on construction projects along Jl. Margonda, for instance, aren't members of Jamsostek. The local fire department, transportation agency and sanitation agency have also failed to register their workers with Jamsostek," he said.

He called on the companies and local government agencies to comply with the labor legislation and join Jamsostek immediately.