'I dare not dream of owning a home'

'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