Minimum wage in E. Kalimantan set

The East Kalimantan governor issued a decree on Monday stipulating the monthly minimum wage was hiked to Rp 500,000 for the 2002 fiscal year from the current Rp 300,000.

The deputy chief of the local manpower and transmigration ministry office Syahrial A.B., said the decree was endorsed on Nov. 15, 2001 and was scheduled to be effective starting on Jan 1. 2002.

"The decision is made after a tripartite negotiation between local employers, the labor representatives, local government was deadlocked. They then gave up the matters to (East Kalimantan) Governor Suwarna A.F., to decide," Syahrial said, adding the dialog had been carried out since August.

Previously the minimum wage was determined by the manpower ministry but since the implementation of the regional autonomy, it became the task of the provincial wage commission to discuss and to set the value. The commission consist of representatives of businesspeople, labors and officials from local manpower agency. --Antara