Indah Setiawati, Jakarta – The Jakarta Labor Forum has demanded a revision to the 2014 minimum wage, which was set on Nov. 1 by the Jakarta administration at Rp 2.44 million (US$211) per month.
In a desperate move, representatives from the forum arrived at the Jakarta Legislative Council on Monday to meet with legislators from the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), whom they asked to lobby Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to revise his decision and raise the minimum wage to Rp 3 million.
"The decision needs to be amended. We have come here because we don't know where else to turn to with our problem," said Dedi Hartono, a member of both the forum and the Indonesia Labor Union Association (Aspek).
Jokowi's predecessors, Fauzi Bowo and Sutiyoso, both revised the minimum wage during their tenures. The labor forum representatives were met by three of the PDI-P's 11 legislators: Prasetyo Edi Marsudi, Bimo Hastoro and Dwi Rio Sambodo.
Prasetyo said they would convey the forum's request to Jokowi and try to facilitate communication between the forum and the governor, although he questioned the absence of the workers' representatives during a tripartite meeting on Oct. 31 to determine the minimum wage level.
"Why did none of you join the meeting at that time? Pak Jokowi waited for you, but you weren't interested in attending the meeting. Instead, some of your members yelled at him," he said.
Roni, another of the forum's members, said the workers had not met with Jokowi because they felt they had no authority to do so, as their leaders were attending an internal meeting at the Mega Proklamasi Hotel in Central Jakarta.
"The purpose of our protest in front of City Hall was to halt the meeting of the Jakarta Remuneration Council. The meeting aimed to set the minimum wage, but we did not agree with the basic cost of living [KHL] figure," he said.
The forum had demanded the city adopt the workers' KHL of Rp 2.7 million per month rather than the national figure of Rp 2.4 million. Initially, the workers had demanded a raise to Rp 3.7 million.
The city's monthly minimum wage was raised earlier this year to Rp 2.2 million from Rp 1.5 million.