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BATAM. The demand for the 2015 monthly city minimum wage (UMK) in Batam, Riau Islands, of Rp 3.3 million (US$275) will likely not be met by Batam Mayor Ahmad Dahlan.
Despite thousands of workers taking to the streets again on Wednesday near his office, Dahlan merely mentioned that the 2015 UMK would have to take into account the 4 percent inflation rate; the UMK is predicted to be at least Rp 2.5 million, far below workers’ demands.
At least 2,000 workers from various industries, affiliated with a number of trade unions led by the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Unions (FSPMI), All-Indonesia Workers Union Federation (FSPSI) and other labor organizations, rallied on Wednesday at the Batam city hall for a 2015 UMK of Rp 3.3 million, a rise of around 45 percent from this year’s UMK.
Dahlan, who met the protesters, promised he would announce the UMK on Nov. 14. He asked the workers to be patient and to maintain a favorable investment climate in Batam by holding peaceful rallies and avoiding anarchy.
