By: Andri Yunarko | Solidaritas.net, Boyolali – On Friday, October 3, 2015, Boyolali district through the regent has submitted a proposal UMK (Minimum Wages District) Boyolali 2015 to the Governor of Central Java Province and Provincial Wage Councils to set at Rp.1.175.000, -. Based on the information given by the Head of the Department of Industrial Relations and Labour Inspection and Social Service Workers (Dinsosnakertrans) Boyolali, this number has been in accordance with the amount of numbers KHL (Living Needs) obtained through a survey conducted between January and August 2014.
This decision receive protest from the DPD KSPN (Confederation of National Trade Unions), which has held an independent survey independently Rp. 1.380.000, – in 3 existing markets in Boyolali. It seems that conducted surveys is even lower than the previous year, the amount is to Rp. 1.178.750, -. In response to this, the government through the Head of Industrial Relations and Labour Inspection (Dinsosnakertrans) only say that the results conducted by DPP KSPN will only become a comparison.
This decision lead to frustration among workers Boyolali, given the fact that there is increase in the prices of basic needs over the previous year, which is contrary to the results of the survey presented by Boyolali district. It is not even taken into account the issue of government’s plan to raise of BBM which will definitely cause an increase the of inflation (rising prices of goods).
The decision made by Seno Samudro, Boyolali regent, was unpopular among the workers, since he is part of Boyolali society that has mandated the Regents in 2010 to lead Boyolali as an emerging industrial area, until 2015. Normally, this kind of situation is become political issue of power struggle to “grab” the hearts of the workers, as in the determination of 2013 Jakarta UMP as well as Bekasi and other areas. It’s been recognized by APINDO that in various occasions when labors wages rose significantly in the years 2012-2013, that wage increases are often o linked to local elections, reported from Sindonews.com (11/07/2012).
But now, the political elite has changed, and that would be reasonable in the light of the act that has passed recently on Friday, September 26, 2014, saying that local elections are no longer done directly by the people, but through Parliament. This is a setback, with the fact that usually candidates will try to “please” the hearts of the members of the Council (DPRD) to be elected and maintain their power. Recognizable or not, it also affected the democratic setback to the struggle of the workers to improve their welfare.
