Ten Thousand Workers to Stake Rally In Front of Presidential Palace

Bogor, W Java (Antara Bali)- Some 10 thousand workers grouped in the National Labor Union (SPN) will stage a rally in front of the Presidential Palace on Tuesday (Oct 27), to reject a draft government regulation on wages, following the issuance of the fourth economic policy package by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"On Tuesday (Oct 27), some 10 thousand workers who are members of the SPN from 12 provinces, will go the Presidential Palace in Jakarta to express their rejection of the draft government regulation on waging," Iwan Kusmawan, chairman of the SPN executive board, said here on Sunday.

The plan to stage the rally was discussed in a coordinating meeting of the SPN in Bogor, Saturday (Oct. 24).

The labor union strongly rejected the draft regulation because the government has issued the policy without discussing the matter with labor unions, he added.

The SPN insisted that labor unions must be involved in deciding the minimal wages for workers through the Wage Council.

Besides, the salary increase is decided based on just the inflation rate and the economic growth, without referring to a proper living wage needs, he remarked.

"It's obvious that the policy is against the Law No 13/2003 on manpower," he noted.

In the meantime, Secretary General of the Confederation of Indonesian Labor Unions (KSPI) Muhammad Rusdi has said the new wage policy which is part of the fourth economic policy package announced recently, will only benefit employers.

"The wage policy will only benefit employers and does not accommodate workers' aspirations. Despite salary hike based on inflation and economic growth, Indonesian workers will remain poor although they are employed," he said in a press conference here on Friday (Oct. 16).

It is likely that only Indonesian workers who have been employed remain poor because they receive low salaries. In fact, in other countries, unemployed people receive allowances so that they can lead a fair life.
"For workers and other people, wages are the main artery. The government has sided with the employers ever since the first, second and third economic policy packages were issued. We highly expected the fourth economic policy package to side with the workers," he said. (WDY)