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Batam workers demand Rp 3.3 m as minimum wage for next year
As many as 2,000 workers from various factories and labor unions sponsored by the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Unions (FSPMI) held a mass rally on Thursday in the front of the Batam city office to demand an increase in next yearâs monthly minimum wage
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s many as 2,000 workers from various factories and labor unions sponsored by the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Unions (FSPMI) held a mass rally on Thursday in the front of the Batam city office to demand an increase in next year's monthly minimum wage.
The workers requested that the upcoming minimum wage would be no less than Rp 3.3 million (US$ 271.59) per month, or a 45 percent rise from this year's figure of Rp 2.4 million.
Suprapto from the FPSMI said the wage rise was needed to anticipate the domino effects from the government's plan to increase fuel prices in the near future.
'We need to anticipate the increasing prices of staple foods and other goods that will come as a direct result of the fuel-price increase. Therefore we expect that the rise could be implemented before the middle of this month,' he said Thursday.
Commenting on this, Batam Mayor Ahmad Dahlan assured the workers that they would receive more than the current monthly minimum wage of Rp 2.4 million.
'But I'm not sure that we would meet your expectation for Rp 3.3 million,' he said.
On the other hand, the Riau Islands and Batam branch of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) requested the mayor to lower next year's minimum wages.
'Please hear our side of the story, as well, and not just the workers,' Cahaya of Apindo said.
Cahaya said Apindo's Batam branch had requested the mayor to lower the city's upcoming monthly minimum wage to Rp 2.1 million from the current Rp 2.4 million. (dic)(+++)
