Prabowo Asks Workers Not To Demand Wage, KSPI: Wrong Opinion

Rupiah (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - President of the Confederation of Indonesian Performance Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal responded to Prabowo Subianto's statement of presidential candidate regarding wages. Iqbal assessed that Prabowo's opinion asking workers not to always demand that employers increase their wages was wrong.

Iqbal assessed that Prabowo did not understand the world of labor, and did not even seem to be in favor of the interests of the workers. He considered Prabowo's statement to be a whisper from those around him who wanted to make a profit.

"As input from the Labor Party and labor union organizations for Presidential Candidates Prabowo and other presidential candidates, issues of wages and social security as well as job creation and eradicating outsourcing are mainstream issues among workers," Said Iqbal told reporters, Thursday, November 9.

Therefore, Iqbal said that if he spoke wrongly and was wrong about the issue of the main mainstream of the workers, the result would be fatal to the support of the workers for the presidential candidates. This includes the issue of the rejection of the omnibus law by all workers.

It should be noted for all presidential candidates, continued Iqbal, that throughout the world trade unions in their respective countries must struggle to demand an increase in the minimum wage and periodic wages (paids over one year).

Tarikut, continued Iqbal, in America, Germany, England, Nordic Countries, other European Countries, Brazil, Peru, other American countries, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, other African countries, Russia, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the world.

Recently, the Brazilian labor union managed to convince President Lula to increase the minimum wage by 13 percent. Even though the inflation is only 4 percent and the economic growth is only 3.2 percent," he said.

In America, continued Iqbal, the UAW automotive union managed to convince President Joe Biden to increase the wages of automotive workers by 30 percent. Meanwhile in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other European countries, workers held a massive demonstration demanding an increase in the minimum wage and managed to increase above 20 percent.

In fact, said Iqbal, in the United States, when there was a presidential election, the issue of the minimum wage was one of the hottest issues for American presidential candidates. For example, when Obama fought Mitt Romney, in their campaign they shared the value of the minimum wage increase every year with different numbers.

Likewise in the presidential election between Obama and McCain also said the increase in the minimum wage for American workers every year should increase.

"So it is not true and the opinion of Presidential Candidate Prabowo is wrong that the demands of workers to increase the minimum wage every year are not needed. This is a wrong opinion," he said.

Once again, Iqbal emphasized that every year, workers and labor unions take to demonstration roads for an increase in the minimum wage and periodic wages (wages for workers over one year). In Japan, it is known as scinto istilan, namely the struggle of Japanese workers for an increase in the minimum wage every year. America, Australia, and America are known for the spring wage struggle.

"And Indonesia is known for its minimum wage struggle between October and December every year," he explained.

In international conventions and laws, it has been agreed that the minimum wage must be given to workers and must be increased every year. This is stated in the ILO Convention No. 133 concerning the minimum wage. And in Indonesia, in Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Manpower and Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation, the minimum wage is strictly regulated to be increased every year.

"Once again, Prabowo's opinion is very painful for the workers," he said.

Therefore, continued Iqbal, the Labor Party and KSPI still have an opinion that every year the minimum wage and periodic wages must be increased for all workers, workers, employees, employees, civil servants, the TNI/Polri, anyone who works.

The labor party and KSPI urge the presidential candidates to also side with the interests of workers and the working class not only side with black entrepreneurs. The sound of workers greatly determines the victory of the presidential candidates in the 2024 election," he said.

Regarding that there are companies that are unable to increase the minimum wage and the wages are periodic, Iqbal believes it is a case per case. Don't be generalized. For companies that can't afford it, it is possible that in regulations they can apply for a suspension of the minimum wage increase by proving the company's bookkeeping report for two consecutive years at a loss, and a public accountant has audited it.

"So the company should not also state that they are not capable. What is the definition of incapacity? So the audit of the Company's bookkeeping report is the answer," he said.