Indonesian workers threatening to stage national strike

Jakarta workers, rallying outside City Hall on Tuesday, threatened to call a two-day national strike if their demand for a 50-percent wage increase was not met.

"We came here to meet Jokowi and Ahok (the Jakarta governor and deputy governor). We are demanding a raise in the provincial minimum wage (UMP) and inclusion of more items in the Decent Livelihood Components (KHL)," said Winarso, the chairman of the regional executive board of the Federation of Metal Workers Unions (FSPMI).

Thousands of Jakarta workers held a rally in Jakarta on Tuesday, demanding wages be increased by 50 percent from Rp2.2 million to Rp3.7 million per month, the end of outsourcing and an increase in the KHL from Rp1.9 million for 60 items to Rp2.7 million for 84 items.

Winarso said that workers in Jakarta should receive a monthly salary at a range between Rp3.4 million and Rp3.7 million.

"We also reject Presidential Instruction No. 9/2012 because it enables employers to pay workers a low wage. We opt for discussions between workers and employers to decide a decent KHL for items. We demand that the current 60 KHL items, as regulated, be revised," Winarso said.

The same demand was also raised by Jakarta Workers Forum Chairman Muhammad Toha.

"Workers ask the Jakarta Governor to agree to the demand for a wage of Rp3.7 million per month and for him to be on the workers` side," Chairman of the Jakarta Workers Forum, Muhammad Toha, said.

If their demand is not met, workers plan to hold a nationwide strike on Thursday and Friday.

According to Winarso, in 2014 inflation is predicted to reach double-digits, or more than 10 percent, while economic growth is expected at 6.2 percent. Laborers, who have contributed to the economic growth, should also enjoy it. After all, they also face double-digit inflation.

He noted that workers contributed about 46.2 percent to economic growth, or nearly 50 percent, and deserve a salary increase of 50 percent, which he says constitutes a realistic demand.

"We need all sides` understanding what is a decent pay for us. So, we are serious about staging a national strike from October 31 to November 1, 2013 if our demand is not met. We hope Apindo (the employers association) and the government would not back each other. But they should have negotiations with us," stated Winarso.

On Friday last week, the Jakarta Remuneration Board decided on the KHL rate of Rp2.29 million based on 60 KHL items.

He said that the government did not consider the KHL calculation rate proposed by the workers` representative on the Jakarta Remuneration board, a rate of 2.7 million, which would enable the minimum wage (UMP) to be set at a range of Rp3.4 million - Rp3.7 million. 

Jazuli, the workers` representative on the Jakarta Remuneration Board, said that the decent living cost workers deserve amounted to Rp2.7 million.

"Based on the survey we have conducted, the decent living cost is about Rp2.7 million. So today we, together with the workers federations and other alliances in Jakarta, once again demand a realistic figure for workers` pay," Jazuli said here on Tuesday.

He added that a national strike planned next Thursday and Friday could be cancelled if the government agreed to meet the living cost standard of Rp2.7 million.

"We want to communicate directly with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo to discuss our demand. If the governor refuses to meet us, we will spend the night at City Hall and wait until our demand is met," Jazuli said.

He added that workers were threatening to call a national strike on Thursday and Friday if their demand for salary payments was not met.

Jazuli said that the increase to Rp2.29 in the KHL with 60 items was actually accountable based on the presidential instruction, but it still had to be discussed with workers in the next meeting.

If the Jakarta Remuneration Board conducts a follow-up meeting, the results of its meeting will be reported to the Jakarta governor for approval.

In the meantime, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said employers and workers should develop harmonious relations so they could jointly decide upon a basic minimum wage without having conflicts.

"What is important now is creating harmonious relations between workers and their employers. They are together as management, so their relations should be built harmoniously," Jokowi, better known as Jokowi, said.

He added that harmonious relations should be maintained so workers and employers could always communicate well.

"It should not happen that workers and employers meet only when there are matters relating to the minimum wage. This does not demonstrate good relations. Conflicting relations should not build up. If poor relations continue, conflicts will continue to take place," the governor warned.

Referring to the demand of workers for an increase in the decent living cost standard to Rp2.7 million, the governor said if the workers union and employers had met and not agreed to a figure, they then had to report the problem to the governor.

"I have not received a report about it. The labor unions should meet first with employers to discuss it. They should report their decision to me. They should also report the rate of the minimum wage they agree upon," Jokowi said.

He said that he had no business with UMP (minimum wage) and KHL (decent living cost) because the matters should be discussed between workers and employers. "I will receive them after they have met. It is not me who will make the decision," the governor said.

In the meantime, the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman, Sofyan Wanandi, said a labor wage increase would not solve labors` problems, especially relating to their standard of living.

"For sure, a wage increase will not solve labors` problems, so the government should play its role," Sofyan said at a press gathering.

The government`s assistance is badly needed to solve the problem of labors` standard of living, for instance, by providing low-cost housing, affordable health care, and less expensive transportation, according to Sofyan

Source: ANTARA