'I dare not dream of owning a home'

Next year will see a 7 percent increase in the provincial minimum wage in Jakarta, as workers will be entitled to Rp 631,000 instead of Rp 591,000 per month. However, they are already complaining that it is not enough, especially as the price of basic goods and services has increased.

Intan, 23, has been a shop assistant at a bookstore in Permata Hijau, South Jakarta, for three years. She lives at Meruya, West Jakarta, with her husband and son:

The 7 percent wage increase is crazy. It's far too little to cover the skyrocketing prices that follow a wage hike.

Although the start of the fasting month is still a week away, the price of some basic items, like sugar and eggs, has already gone up.

I receive only the regional minimum wage. Meanwhile, I have to pay a monthly house rent of Rp 250,000. My one-year-old son gets through at least Rp 150,000 per month in milk.

Do you have any idea how I could possibly afford to buy makeup or clothes? It's hard to imagine, isn't it?

Fortunately, my husband, as the main breadwinner, works at a department store.

I don't even dream of having our own house. We have to make do with renting.

Wahyu, 27, is an ice cream products salesman. He lives in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, with his wife and son:

Of course the 7 percent increase is far less than we'd hoped for!

The price of basic needs and other items started going up while the wage increase won't be effective until January 2003, so it's totally unrealistic.

We can only get by because my wife also works.

I reckon that the ideal minimum wage increase should be more than 50 percent. At the very least, a worker needs an income of about Rp 800,000 per month to lead a more or less decent life in this city.

Robi, 38, drives a mobile post office van based at Daan Mogot, West Jakarta. He lives in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta, with his wife and four children:

I don't know whether the wage hike can help low-income people like us. Yesterday I went with my wife to the traditional market and we noticed the price of basic items had increased.

I'm a low-ranking employee who earns more or less the regional minimum wage. On the other hand, I have to pay the house rent of Rp 300,000 a month, plus security and garbage service fee. The rest is for food.

It's time for employers to think seriously about their workers. They should stop exploiting them and pay them a decent wage.

Darman, 30, is an operator for a British-licensed tire retreading company in Tangerang, who has worked there for four years and is single:

I receive about Rp 300,000 in basic salary, but in total I get Rp 590,000, including allowances.

I have to pay housing rent of about Rp 100,000 per month.

The country isn't in a strong enough economic state to support our demands for higher wages. So, what can I do but simply accept what I'm given?

My company is now in a critical state. Overtime has not been worked here for the past two months.

At present, I manage to earn a little extra by obtaining orders from local residents for wooden cupboards. I make a profit of about Rp 50,000 on each order.

-- Leo Wahyudi S