Jakarta – More than 10,000 workers from 14 companies in the Jakarta area have gone on strike to demand an increase in the minimum wage, today's Jakarta Post quoted a labor activist as saying.
Lukman, spokesman for the Labor Committee for Reform Action (Kobar), was quoted as saying workers at six companies had begun a strike on Thursday and workers from three more firms were expected to join the stoppage in coming days.
The striking workers want the Jakarta daily minimum wage to be doubled to 11,500 rupiah ($0.75) from 5,750 rupiah, and are also demanding an end to military intervention in labor disputes and rallies, Lukman said. Indonesia's government has said minimum wages would be increased by 15 percent from the start of August.
Indonesia is in its worst economic crisis in decades and workers have held demonstrations in several centers in recent weeks demanding higher wages and lower food prices. The Indonesian Labor Welfare Union (SBSI) staged a number of demonstrations last month after its leader Muchtar Pakpahan was released from prison by President B.J. Habibie, who took over from former president Suharto on May 21. But the SBSI said earlier this month it was ending all planned demonstrations following appeals from the public and businessmen.
The Jakarta Post said the firms hit by the strike were household products firm PT Ganda Guna Indonesia, food processing firm PT Mayora, electronics firm PT Singamip Jaya Electronic Enterprise, cotton bud firm PT Kapasindo Prima, photo album maker PT Tomy Modern Industri and pen maker PT Zebra Asaba Industri.
Lukman was quoted as saying that workers at footwear firms PT Trio Putra Sanjaya Wisesa and PT Osaga Mas Utama as well as household goods producer PT Golden Swallow were set to join the strike in coming days.
[In a chronology sent to ASIET dated July 9, Kobor said that workers also demonstrated at ministry of labour and were able to meet with the minister's secretary. In a statement read at the demonstration protesters also rejected the new draft act controlling demonstrations and called for the abolition of Labor Law No 25/97, the release of PRD worker activist Dita Sari and other political prisoners, an end to the mass sackings and unpaid "temporary" layoffs and that company books be open to worker inspection. Kobor said that the PT Osaga and PT Golden Swallow management had agreed to their demands but the strike at PT Singamip was violently broken up by the military - James Balowski.]