E. Java to have new minimum wage

SURABAYA, East Java: The monthly minimum wages for the 2002 fiscal year in the province of East Java will be set by the end of this month, vice governor Imam Supardi said.

He said most regencies and industrial zones in the province have proposed a hike of around 20 percent in their own region while many other regencies have yet to lodge their proposals.

"The provincial administration will discuss the minimum wage level in a tripartite meeting with local labor unions representing workers and the association of local employers to avoid any disputes in the future," he said after a coordination meeting with several regents and mayors here on Tuesday.

He added that the provincial administration has reached a tripartite agreement with employers and labor unions to set the same minimum wage level in industrial areas in the city, Sidoarjo and Pasuruan.

The current monthly minimum wages in the province range from Rp 300,000 (US$30) to Rp 330,700.($33). -- Antara