4 December, 2014With a new minimum wage in Indonesia set much lower than union demands, workers have already taken to the streets and are gearing up for further protests at the end of the month.
With the new minimum wage for 2015 being announced in Indonesia, trade union confederations KSPI and FSPMI are demanding a 22 – 30 per cent increase, depending on the province. The wage claims take into account the increasing cost of living in Indonesia - inflation alone was nine per cent in September.
Minimum wage in Indonesia is set according to the province of the country.
The Indonesian employers’ association has announced minimum wage increases in the provinces ranging from four to ten per cent. The government has the target set for 7 to 11 per cent.
The announcements led to disappointed workers all around Indonesia demonstrating. In the industrial area of Bekasi 50,000 workers laid down their work and marched on the nearby motorway. Police violently attacked demonstrators, with three people critically injured and 12 workers arrested and detained by police over night.
If demands are not met mobilizations are set to continue. Together with another federation (KEP,ISI,SPN and FARKES) affiliated to the KSPI, the FSPMI are planning for a national strike on 10 – 11 December.
IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina says:
Our global organization supports the workers in Indonesia, demanding a minimum wage off which they can live.