Laborer: Not That Crazy. We Are Demanding A Salary Of Rp. 11 Million

JAKARTA - The Federation of Democratic Labor Unions (F-SEDAR), which houses hundreds of Aice ice cream workers in the Indonesian Earth Workers Movement Union, PT Alpen Food Industry (SGBBI PT AFI), denied that they demanded the company to increase their wages or base salaries to IDR 11 million.

Spokesperson for F-SEDAR Sarinah emphasized that her party only asked for a salary increase of IDR 200 thousand to IDR 300 thousand, as was the salary payment made by an ice cream company from Singapore in 2016.

Furthermore, he said, in 2016 the company paid the salaries of employees not only based on the city minimum wage (UMK) as a calculation of the basic salary, but also other additions.

"No. Never. No laborer said Rp. 11 million, none of that. We are not that crazy demanding Rp. 11 million. On February 20 we have given a win-win solution letter. We want to return to 2016 which only increases wages of Rp. 200 to Rp. 300 thousand. Because in the past Aice used not only the UMK. But there was an additional UMK plus Rp. 200 thousand to Rp. 300 thousand, "he said, when contacted by VOI, in Jakarta, Tuesday, June 7.

Sarinah said that the formula for calculating the basic salary required by workers uses five components according to the Wage Ministerial Regulation and the structure of the wage scale.

"Now it's being exaggerated as if we want to extort the company to ask for a salary of Rp. 11 million, we are not that brave. It doesn't make sense," he said.

Furthermore, Sarinah explained, if the average salary requested by workers is in the range of IDR 4.7 million to IDR 4.8 million. According to him, the basic salary of ordinary workers is currently estimated at IDR 4.5 million.

Related to the company statement that said the lowest salary payment at Aice was around Rp. 5.5 million to Rp. 6 million, said Sarinah, that payment is intended for employees who have supervisory or leader positions.

Sarinah explained that the salary that the company pays if it is accumulated will get a large amount, because it includes food and transportation allowances. In fact, this allowance is a facility other than the basic salary.

As for the details, it is a meal allowance of IDR 15,000, transportation money of IDR 5,000 that is paid by the company with a calculation of 26 working days. Then, workers receive an attendance allowance of Rp. 200 thousand. However, the conditions are very strict. Employees may not apply for leave or leave due to illness. If attendance does not reach 100 percent, then this allowance cannot be disbursed.

According to Sarinah, the entire wage system at Aice benefits employees who are in the office or office with a rank. While not for operator workers who graduated from high school.

"It's a lie. The Rp6 million is the leader's salary. The basic salary is Rp4.7 million, the job allowance is Rp.800,000 and it is easy to get attendance allowance because they are not very hard to work, they can give orders," he said.

Furthermore, Sarinah said, the emergence of the figure of Rp. 11 million was a rough calculation or simulation obtained from 15 percent of Aice's sales in 2018. This calculation is an illustration of the company's ability that with this profit the company can pay one employee of Rp. 11 million.

"Rp. 11 million was never asked for. There are no demands. We ask for the demands and we stay there. Never. It's just a kind of information. Even if they refuse, we don't argue back there," he explained.

Meanwhile, PT Alpen Food Industry, which has evidence in the form of a screenshot of the SGBBI activity news, which held a joint prayer so that the demand for a Rp11 million salary increase was met, was denied. According to him, this screenshot is not a group prayer event.

"That is not a prayer together. Those people after evening prayer are still wearing photo sarongs because they usually finish praying together here. Then on Facebook there is an account that does not clearly corner them that they are asking for a salary of Rp. 11 million, then they say 'wow if indeed we get Rp. 11 million, so we just pray, "he said.

Sarinah said she also had the screenshot. According to him, workers there included the hashtag 'goceng got what', as an illustration that the wage increase given by the company was only IDR 5,000.

"That's sarcasm. Because they are being accused of demanding a salary of Rp. 11 million. There is #gocengdapatapa. Because Aice's salary in the past only increased by Rp. 5,000 from the UMK. That's what they got. In the first year it went up Rp. 5 thousand, then it went up another Rp. 5 thousand. In 2018, the UMK increased by Rp. 5,000, 2019 increased by Rp. 5,000 to become the UMK plus Rp. 10,000. They said what they got, "he said.

Sarinah said employees held their first strike which took place on December 20, 21 and 23 2019. On December 19, SGBBI and Aice held negotiations facilitated by the Manpower Office (Disnaker). Then on 23 December the first mediation took place at the Bipatrit forum.

"At that time we came to send a letter. Because we wanted to hear an explanation. Aice sent a letter and we run her call to come to work on December 26," he explained.

Then, continued Sarinah, on January 7, 2020 a recommendation was issued from the Manpower Office for wages. Then, on January 20, the minutes on the settlement of industrial relations disputes came out. Aice carried out his one-sided suggestion, which led to the second strike on February 21.

"Because the treatise does not remember Aice immediately run it himself, because they have the power they don't ask anymore. It was carried out unilaterally by UMK plus Rp35 thousand in his calculations. Because it is clear that there is no binding on us. On 21 February the second strike. This is the right of laborers. due to the absence of an agreement, "he said.

Sarinah assessed that Disnaker also cut off the bipatrit negotiations by not inviting a second or third negotiation. In fact, his party had asked when the second mediation would take place, but there was no answer.

"When the company accepts the recommendation which is not binding, it is immediately carried out by sending a letter of evidence unilaterally. He does not want an agreement with the union, which he proves by his actions," he said.

Previously, PT AFI's Legal Corporate, Simon Audry Halomoan Siagian explained, the initial problem was that workers asked for a salary increase. In the bipatrit forum, this dispute was discussed and a wage increase figure of Rp. 11 million emerged which was calculated based on the SGBBI formula which came from 15 percent of Aice 2018 sales.

Simon said that this request or demand could not be fulfilled because the figure was too large. PT Alpen Food Industry offers another formula to SGBBI.

Then, the SGBBI sent a strike notification and insisted on a wage increase based on their calculations. Meanwhile, PT AFI offers a proposal for a 2020 salary increase of IDR 4,543,961. Apart from salary, there are other benefits that are quite competitive and exceed the normative requirements.

"They asked for Rp. 11 million, that's just the principal, not allowances. That is ridiculous, I find it very difficult to fulfill it. Our employees also have bachelor degrees, for high school students the salary is Rp. 11 million, how much do they get paid," said Simon.

Meanwhile, Head of Human Resources Aice Group Antonius Hermawan Susilo said, with the proportion of high school graduate workers as much as 90 percent, his party provides the lowest basic salary of IDR 4.5 million plus employee benefits. Within a month, he mentioned that the salary plus allowances for employees with a work period of 1 month ranges from IDR 5.5 million to IDR 6 million, with the average percentage increase in salary this year is 11 percent.

"In Bekasi it is for employees with the lowest status or level, the salary is around Rp. 4.5 million and this does not include other benefits received by employees. So if it is totaled as a whole and comes with overtime pay, for employees with the lowest level. That low was around Rp. 6 million more, "said Antoni.