Workers Reportedly Will Demo Again, Acting Governor Of West Java Affirms UMK Will Not Change

BANDUNG - Acting Governor of West Java Bey Kalioni Machmudin emphasized that the 2024 City/Regency Minimum Wage (UMK) decision will not change even though it is reported that there will be an effort to demonstrate workers on December 14-15, 2023.

The reason, said Bey, is that the 2024 UMK has been determined based on PP 51 of 2023. Moreover, the 2024 UMK is only intended for workers under one year of working period, while those who have more than one year adjusted to the company's respective decisions according to the calculated formulation set.

"It was agreed that the UMK yesterday. Hopefully it is understood, that it is in accordance with PP 51 for one year. For those over one year, according to the performance and scheme of the wage structure adjusted by each company," said Bey at the Sate building. Bandung, reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 13.

Regarding workers with a working period of more than one year, he hopes that each company can follow the scheme, according to the productivity of each worker.

"So we hope that entrepreneurs will also adjust to the productivity of their workers," he said.

Previously, the Chairman of KSPSI West Java Province, Roy Jinto, revealed that the workers would hold a demonstration for two days, namely on December 14-15, 2023. In addition to storming Gedung Sate, workers will also hold an action at the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office regarding the determination of the 2024 UMK.

Roy Jinto said this action was an effort by the workers so that Bey Machmudin would revise his decision on the 2024 UMK issue, because it was not in accordance with recommendations from districts/cities, where the average increase was up to 15 percent.

"We also demand that the Governor's PJ re-issue the worker/labor wage decision for a work period of one year or more as in previous years that had been determined by Mr. Ridwan Kamil," he said.

Roy continued, the action that will be carried out as a follow-up action as well as a preparation action for the regional strike that will be carried out by West Java workers.

"The West Java chaos is very disappointed with the UMK decision that has been determined by the Acting Governor because the increase according to workers is very inhuman, only Rp. 13 thousand," he said.

He explained that the figure of an increase of Rp. 13 thousand could not meet the needs and maintain the purchasing power of workers which continued to decline, because the prices of basic necessities continued to rise.

"At the meeting with the Acting Governor on November 30, 2023 yesterday, the Acting Governor promised to hold a meeting again, inviting the business world of APINDO and KADIN to discuss the demands for workers' wages for one year or more. But until now there has been no news about this," he said.