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Indonesia to raise minimum wage for migrant workers in Brunei
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Inspectors recording details at one of the Ramadhan stalls at Kg Bunut, Brunei. (BT/Wardi Buntar)
T
he Indonesian Embassy in Brunei revealed Thursday that it plans to raise the standard minimum wage (UMR) for Indonesian workers in Brunei.
Pribadi Sutiono, the embassy’s deputy chief of mission in Brunei, told The Jakarta Post that the UMR for Indonesian workers would increase from B$250 (US$186) to B$350 per month.
“If we compare it to other countries, such as the Philippines, our minimum wage is quite low, while the costs of living in Brunei are quite expensive,” Sutiono said in Bandar Seri Begawan. “We still haven’t received any response from the Brunei government on this matter. The fact is, Brunei doesn’t have any minimum wage regulations.”
Based on data from the embassy, there are currently 70,000 Indonesian workers in the neighboring country, with 60 percent of them skilled and professional workers.
“They work as lecturers, chefs, waiters, domestic workers and teachers. Some of them are also working in oil companies,” Sutiono said.
He said that Indonesian workers should be given more opportunities to work in Brunei as the two countries shared the same language and religion.
