Governor urged to approve pay increase demand

Hundreds of workers rallied in Medan on Monday, urging caretaker Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho to approve their proposal for a rise in wages.

The workers, who came from Medan and Deli Serdang regency, lambasted what they called the governor’s slow response to the workers’ demand for improved welfare.

“We are disappointed with the performance of caretaker Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho who is slow at approving the demand. This is proof that Gatot is not concerned with workers’ fates,” Bambang Hermanto, chairman of North Sumatra’s Indonesian Labor Union (SBSI), told The Jakarta Post.

Regencies and municipalities across the province were reported to have consented to the raising of monthly wages by 10 percent from Rp 1.250 million to Rp 1.350 million.

However, the workers failed to obtain the raise because the governor had yet to sign his approval, although the proposal was already sent three months ago.

Bambang said Gatot had failed to carry out the mandate to improve workers’ welfare.

Gatot, who took up office in April following the suspension of then-governor Syamsul Arifin for graft, is looking for further legitimacy as he reportedly prepares to run for next year’s election.

However, Bambang claimed that his labor policy could backfire on his campaign.

“The workers may review their choice of Gatot in the next election because he has failed to make people prosper,” he said.

The rally was tightly guarded by security with heavy armor on standby, anticipating the worst.

The protesters threatened to camp inside the governor’s compound area if he failed to sign the decree.

Gatot appeared to have his assistant Hasiholan Silaen deal with the protesters.

He said the delay in approving the demand was due to the fact that the written proposal had not arrived on the governor’s desk until then.

“The letter arrived only today. I promise the letter will have been signed before sunset,” Hasiholan said, which was responded to with shouts of relief from protesters.

Demands for wage increases have also taken place in other parts of the country.

The Batam municipality has had to raise the cap twice after the first proposed raise was rejected by workers. However, the second cap drew opposition from businesspeople.