Workers want wage hike by September

Workers want wage hike by September

TANGERANG (JP): Thousands of workers belonging to the
Tangerang chapter of the All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI)
threatened on Friday to stage a massive rally demanding a wage
hike starting next month.

The workers from the textile, clothes and food sectors
demanded a hike for their minimum regional wage (UMR) from Rp
286,000 to Rp 344,000 (US$33.6 to US$40.5) per month.

"The workers feel the current wage is no longer sufficient to
support their families. Most of them also have children of school
age," chairman of the Textile, Clothes and Food Workers Union
(SPTSK), Ade Kusnadi, told reporters.

"Staging the massive rally is our last resort if our demand
for a wage hike is ignored," he said, citing that they would
stage the rally at the West Java provincial building, locally
known as Gedung Sate.

Ade said he had informed the Tangerang mayoralty of the
planned strike.

"Mayor Muhammad Thamrin will let us air our aspirations as
long as it is in line with the regulations," he said.

"We want to put pressure on the West Java Governor H.R.
Nuriana by staging the rally so that he'll approve the hike. We
believe the employers are able to pay the demanded wage," he
added.

Ade was referring to a mayor-sponsored meeting with the
Tangerang business community to discuss the hiked wage. As it
turned out, the employers were able to afford an increase in
wages.

It was reported that the demand was triggered by a decision
from the Jakarta administration last month to hike the wages for
Jakarta-based workers by September from Rp 286,000 to Rp 344,257.

Earlier in February, the Ministry of Manpower increased the
minimum wage from Rp 231,000 to Rp 286,000 for Jakarta-based
workers. The policy took effect in March. (41/nvn)