T

he Bali Wage Council'€™s decision to set the 2014 minimum wage for the province at Rp 1.3 million (US$111) per month triggered protests from unions that say the minimum wage is too low to cover workers'€™ needs.

'€œWe question the minimum wage set by the council. Do you think that Rp 1.3 million is a decent amount for Bali? How could [the council] propose that amount to the Bali governor?'€ Independent Workers Union Federation (FSPM) Bali chapter chairman Anak Agung Sagung Ratmudiani said in a meeting at the Bali Legislative Council on Friday.

The meeting was also attended by scores of union members, several members of the Bali Legislative Council, the head of the provincial Manpower and Transmigration Agency, the chairman of Bali Wage Council and other related parties.

The minimum wage must be paid to any worker in the province. It is issued by the governor, based on the recommendations of the Bali Wage Committee, which is tripartite, consisting of government, unions and business associations.

Before submitting the recommendation to the governor, the wage council must consider market surveys, factoring in inflation, economic growth and companies'€™ average financial capabilities. In October, the board set the 2014 minimum wage for the province at Rp 1.3 million and is now awaiting approval from the governor.

FSPM demanded the Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika review the Bali Wage Council'€™s proposal on the minimum wage.

'€œWe demand Governor Pastika reject the recommendation from the Bali Wage Council. The minimum wage should stand for worker'€™s welfare and not for a few people [investors] that only take profits from Bali but never give welfare to workers,'€ Ratmudiani said.

FSPM proposed the minimum wage for Bali should be around Rp 1.7 to Rp 2.1 million. FSPM secretary Ida Idewa Made Rai Budi Darsana explained the amount proposed was based on a survey conducted by the union on the standard cost of living (KHL) for a single worker.

'€œWe conducted a survey on workers'€™ standard cost of living every month. The survey included 60 needs of workers, including food, clothing and others. We found the standard cost of living for workers was around Rp 1.7 to Rp 2.1 million,'€ Darsana said.

The Bali Wage Council assured the decision was made based on surveys of the standard cost of living, while FSPM also assured its survey was more valid than the one made by the government.

'€œThe standard cost of living arranged by the government is allegedly made by order from the employers. It does not reflect real worker needs at all,'€ Darsana added.

The union also demanded that the Bali Legislative Council convey its aspirations to the Bali governor. '€œThe governor can ignore the recommendation from the Bali Wage Council for the sake of workers welfare here on the island,'€ he said.