Workers In Jakarta Accept Decision On Wage

Jakarta, Nov 1 (Antara) - Workers in Jakarta are ready to accept the government`s decision to set their minimum wage at Rp2,441.301 per month in 2014, secretary general of KSPI Muhamamd Rusdi said here on Friday. He noted however that workers will continue to demand a raise of up to Rp3.7 million. The secretary general of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) told Antara, "We will accept any decision that has been made. However, this does not mean that we have given in. We will continue to fight for our demands." Workers have claimed that their demand for a raise to Rp3.7 million per month is realistic in light of the increasing cost of living following the hike in fuel price. "We appeal to people to stop assuming that our demands are not based on needs. If we buy motorcycles, it is to save (money), and it is also our right," Muhammad remarked. Rallies are continuing in various regions such as Jakarta, Bekasi, Karawang, and Purwakarta in West Java as well as other parts of the country. Thousands of workers gathered at Medan Merdeka Selatan street in front of City Hall to pressure the government to modify its decision to fix the minimum wage at Rp2,441,301 per month, demanding Rp3.7 million per month instead. Workers, meanwhile, gathered at the National Police Headquarters to demand an investigation into the clash on Thursday between workers and mass organization members in Bekasi, West Java, during demonstrations.