Recalcitrant bosses warned of jail
Recalcitrant bosses warned of jail
JAKARTA: Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa
Wea warned employers on Tuesday that they would be liable to
three months in jail if they refused to pay the new provincial
minimum wages.
Jacob also said that employers who failed to pay the minimum
wage increase could face disruptive labor action.
"If the workers stage protests, don't blame it on me. The law
is there for everybody to abide by. It has been familiarized to
the public for long enough," Jacob told journalists.
The new minimum provincial wage levels are set to take effect
this month despite objections from the Association of Indonesian
Employers (Apindo).
Some provincial governments, like Jakarta's, have suggested
that employers who find themselves financially strapped should
propose a postponement to the government.
Jacob said that Apindo's objection had not been taken into
account as the organization only represented 700 member
companies.
"How can it claim to represent all employers when it only has
700 members. In Jakarta alone, there are 25,000 employers," Jacob
said.--Antara
;JP;
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Scene-autonomy
Regional governments misuse aid
JP/8/SCENE
Regional governments misuse aid
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno
acknowledged on Tuesday that many local administrations have
misused financial assistance from the central government.
"Many local administrations implement the autonomy
incorrectly, thinking they can do whatever they like," Hari said
in a media briefing to review the performance of his ministry.
The autonomy law came into effect in January last year. The
government wants to revise it on the grounds that it allows
regency administrations too much power and could be fertile
ground for separatism.
Hari said that the most common deviation was that local
administrations spent the financial aid for local budget on the
wrong purposes.
"Many local administrations spent the development funds from
the central government on officials' allowances," he said.
The minister promised to have the budget of all regional
governments audited to make sure that every rupiah is spent
wisely.--Antara
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Scene-Indonesia-smuggling
RI to host people smuggling forum
JP/8/SCENE
RI to host people-smuggling forum
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government is scheduled to host a
regional conference on people-smuggling on Feb. 27-28 in
cooperation with its Australian counterpart.
"I have agreed with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister
Alexander Downer to hold a regional conference to deal with the
issues of people-smuggling and illegal migrants," Minister of
Foreign Affairs Hasan Wirayuda said on Monday.
He said the forum, themed People-Smuggling, Trafficking in
Persons and Related Transnational Crimes is part of a joint
agreement signed by the two countries last September in an effort
to deal with the entry of illegal Middle East immigrants to
Australia.
"We have invited 35 countries in the Asian region, including
representatives from the European Union and international
organizations," Hasan said.
Indonesia and Australia also hoped that representatives from
the countries of origin of illegal migrants, such as Afghanistan,
Iran and Iraq, would attend the meeting, he said.
The conference, to be held in the resort island of Bali, will
be followed by a meeting of senior officials in Jakarta. --Antara
;AFP;
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Singapore-maid
Maid jailed for threatening employer
JP/8/SCENE
Maid jailed for threatening employer
SINGAPORE: An Indonesian maid was jailed for two months for
threatening her employer with a knife after she was told she
would be sent home for refusing to have a haircut, a report said
Tuesday.
Sulasmi Paiman, 21, had refused to have a haircut and was told
she would be sent back to Indonesia, the Straits Times said.
She then brandished a knife at her employer Chan Fong Yin, who
had to be shielded by her in-laws with a chair during the
incident on Saturday.
Police arrested the maid, who pleaded guilty to a charge of
criminal intimidation, the report said. AFP