Depok workers paid below minimum wages

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.