Enforcement of new labor rule checked
Enforcement of new labor rule checked
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief visited several labor-intensive companies in Tangerang and Bekasi on Saturday to monitor the enforcement of the government regulation on annual bonuses for workers.
The minister visited shoe factory PT Eagle and tire factory PT Gajah Tunggal in Tangerang and PT Kibobuti Electronics Indonesia in Bekasi. The visit was made to check on the companies' preparations for the planned increase in the regional minimum wage level as of April 1.
During the visit the minister was accompanied by Jakarta Military District Commander Maj. Gen. Wiranto, City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce Aburizal Bakrie, Head of Indonesian Employers Association Suratno Hadi Suwito and Chairman of All Indonesian Workers Union Imam Sudarwo.
Latief told around 200 employees of PT Eagle that the government would give greater attention to the welfare of workers, their rights and the upgrading of their skills.
The three companies, which pay wages which are far higher than the regional minimum level, have paid the annual one month extra pay in line with the government regulation.
The minister hailed the three companies' decision to provide special traveling allowances to enable their workers to go to their hometowns to celebrate the Idul Fitri holidays.
"If all companies in Jakarta and its surrounding areas do the same thing, workers will be more diligent in their work places," he said, adding that such a decision also shows good incentive in motivating workers to behave well in their work places.
He also urged workers to hold meetings with their employers whenever they have disagreements with the management rather than going to the House of Representatives, or to the National Human Rights Committee, to file their complaints.
"If workers and the management are unable to solve their industrial disputes, they can seek mediation from the Ministry of Manpower," he said.
Saturday's visit is the last part of a series of Latief's field trips to various companies throughout Java last week.
Protest
Differing from Eagle, Gajah and Kibobuti in their decisions to pay their workers extra, 200 laborers from PT Cipta Rasa Anugrah, a snack factory on Jl. Palmerah Selatan 30 A, Central Jakarta, protested the company's decision yesterday to pay bonuses amounting to only 75 percent of one month's salary.
"The management announced that it could only give us 75 percent of a month's salary. This is not in line with the government ruling which sets the extra pay at a minimum of at least one month's salary," one of the labor representatives said.
The labor representative, who requested anonymity, said that the management promised they would give the rest of the Idul Fitri allowance after the workers return to work from their holidays.
"We do not agree with such an arrangement because the full Idul Fitri allowance itself is still far from enough to fulfill our necessities during the festivity," she said.
The representative said that all her colleagues have decided not to accept the 75 percent allowances offered by the company.
The workers' daily wages at the company range from Rp 3,800 (US$1.72) to Rp 4,100. They expected to receive in the vicinity of Rp 100,000 each for Idul Fitri bonus.
She also complained that the head of All Indonesian Labor Union of the factory, Dede Mulyana, takes no strong measures to uphold workers' rights.
"He just agrees with the company's decisions," she said. (rms/mas)