Sad, Hotel Entrepreneur Changes Employee Monthly Salary To Daily During Emergency PPKM: This Is Our Maximum Effort

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) said that currently the occupancy rate or room occupancy remains at 8 percent. The decline was due to the policy of the Implementation of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM).

Chairman of the Bogor City PHRI Yuno Abeta Lahay said that this occupancy rate makes employers pay permanent and contract employees with daily salaries.

Furthermore, Yuno said, the policy of providing daily wages was based on the approval of the employees. According to him, this is done in order to avoid termination of employment (PHK).

"We have good communication with our employees the same as last year. So our monthly salary changes every 26 days. They enter based on attendance and are paid daily, that's a maximum effort," he said, in a virtual press conference in Jakarta, Wednesday, July 21.

Yuno revealed that most hotel owners chose this policy to maintain their business amidst the current lack of working capital. In fact, the policy was also implemented by hotels outside the Java and Bali regions which were not directly affected by the Emergency PPKM.

Furthermore, Yuno said that the Emergency PPKM had an impact on the flow of people traveling outside Java and Bali. So nationally the average occupancy is only 8 to 9 percent. Meanwhile, on weekends, the maximum occupancy increased by only 11 percent.

Yuno said the situation was getting more difficult when dependents such as land and building taxes (PBB), billboards, electricity bills and gas were not relaxed by the government.

Therefore, PHRI urges the government to think about the fate of the hotel industry, especially workers who are threatened with getting laid off or being laid off if conditions like this continue to drag on.

"It is hoped that our efforts will continue while the government is still thinking about what was decided yesterday (Emergency PPKM) with compensation," he said.

In addition, Yuno said the restaurant industry was even worse with the Emergency PPKM policy. Although it can operate with a take away system, its sales are only at 10 percent.

"Right now, what we feel is that there is no additional support from the government and what is the compensation for the fall? The salary issue can be communicated, but this is our concern," he said.

Emergency PPKM officially extended

The government officially announced the extension of the policy on the implementation of the Java-Bali Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM). This policy was delivered directly by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Even though it was extended, Jokowi ensured that the government would always monitor the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ground. If within five days there is a decrease in cases, the government will ease gradually.

"We always monitor, understand the dynamics on the ground, and listen to the voices of the people affected by the PPKM. Therefore, if the trend of cases continues to decline, the government will conduct a gradual opening on July 26, 2021," said Jokowi in a video statement posted on the Secretariat's YouTube President, Tuesday, July 20.

Furthermore, the former Governor of DKI Jakarta asked all parties to work together to implement Emergency PPKM. The hope is that with a decrease in COVID-19 cases, the pressure on hospitals and other health facilities can decrease.

"I ask that we all work together and work hand in hand to implement this PPKM, with the hope that cases will soon drop and the pressure on hospitals will also decrease," he said.