Depok workers rally over wage

DEPOK: Some 500 laborers from Depok held a protest in front of the Depok municipality building on Tuesday demanding raises in their salaries.

Tempo Interaktif reported that the workers, under the Depok Laborer Alliance (APBD), demanded that the administration set the city's minimum wage equal to previously calculated decent living needs, or at Rp 824,532 a month for the year 2006.

"We demand this be formalized in a mayoral decree," APBD chairman Iswan Abdullah said.

He added that they wanted a meeting with key municipality officials.

One of the workers, Supratman, 26, said that he was forced to work over time to supplement his Rp 681,000 (about US$68.1) salary. --JP