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Unions begin nationwide ‘wave’ of protests for wage hikes
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Workers take part in a rally in Jakarta on Oct. 24, 2024, as they demand higher wages and the repeal of certain provisions of the Job Creation Law (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
T
he Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) has kicked off what it says will be a nationwide wave of mass protests ahead of November, the month in which the next year’s minimum wage is typically determined.
Some 3,000 workers from around Greater Jakarta gathered near the Patung Kuda traffic circle, the State Palace and the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Thursday, according to the KSPI, rallied by dozens of national labor unions.
On the same day, KSPI chairman Said Iqbal announced that workers would conduct a “wave” of actions until Oct. 31 in 350 districts across 38 provinces to protest in front of the offices of governors and regents.
The labor unions are demanding an 8 to 10 percent increase in minimum wages for next year and the removal of certain provisions from the 2020 Job Creation Law.
“This increase [demanded for the 2025 minimum wage] is very normal, given that, in the last five years, workers have not gained any significant wage increase,” Said said on Thursday during the protest, as quoted by Bisnis.
In the past two years, workers had only received a wage increase of 1.58 percent, which was 2.8 percent lower than inflation, Said claimed. “This means that workers are facing a […] loss,” he said, as quoted by detik.com.
He noted President Prabowo Subianto's goal of increasing annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 8 percent, which would mark a massive step up from Indonesia’s economic growth of around 5 percent in recent years.
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