Labor activists urge hike in minimum wages

Labor activists urge hike in minimum wages

JAKARTA (JP): More than 50 labor activists from the Jakarta
branch of the Federation of All Indonesian Workers Union (FSPSI)
demanded Monday that the government increase monthly minimum
wages in Greater Jakarta.

The labor activists, who failed to meet with Minister of
Manpower Theo L. Sambuaga, filed their petition with Director of
Labor Standards Amrinal.

The activists' spokesman, Aleksander Sinaga, told Amrinal the
minister's recent decision not to hike minimum wages was
lamentable.

He said that with the current minimum wage of Rp 172,000
(US$21.50), there was no way workers could make ends meet as
prices had skyrocketed during the economic crisis.

"How can workers survive the crisis if their minimum wage is
not paid," he said, adding that few employers in Greater Jakarta
paid their workers more than the government-set minimum level.

When issuing his decree, Theo ruled out increasing the minimum
wages across the country due to the crippling monetary crisis.

The minister had rejected the union's earlier demand that the
government review the decision.

The head of the Jakarta manpower ministry office, Sabar
Sianturi, told The Jakarta Post Monday that it was impossible for
the government to review the decree because it had been endorsed
by the National Tripartite Institution and that the economy had
not recovered.

"Besides, the city's FSPSI chapter has backed the city
administration's proposal not to raise the minimum wages for the
same reasons," he said.

The government will review the decree only when the crisis
ends.

Sabar added, however, that he agreed with calls that companies
which were not badly affected by the economic crisis should
increase their workers' wages.

Many export-oriented companies which are not badly hit by the
crisis agreed to increase their workers' wages after intensive
negotiations with their employees, he said. (rms)