Workers Will Demo, Puan Maharani: Crowds Can Cause COVID-19 Transmission, Look For Other Alternatives Express Aspirations

Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - The chairman of the DPR, Puan Maharani, hopes that the labor element will reconsider the mass action plan that will be carried out regarding the minimum wage.

The workers' action plan is because the determination of the minimum wage is now adjusted to the Job Creation Law and Government Regulation (PP) Number 36 of 2021 concerning Wages replacing PP No. 78/2015.

"Although the COVID-19 pandemic conditions have improved, crowds can cause the virus to spread and cause COVID-19 clusters. I hope my fellow workers find other alternatives to express their aspirations," said Puan Maharani, quoted by Antara, Monday, October 25.

He said this was related to the aspirations of workers who asked the local government (Pemda) to determine the minimum wage because it was considered to have the right to set wages above the minimum wage set by the central government.

With the application of the new calculation method, the percentage increase in the minimum wage is considered to be potentially lower than in previous years.

Puan invites workers to prioritize dialogue, because the government will definitely be open to receiving input and the DPR RI will facilitate the aspirations of the workers.

On the other hand, he considered the plan to increase the minimum wage for 2022 as evidence of the government's success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Puan said that anticipatory measures, "treatment", and the COVID-19 vaccination program had produced positive results.

"The government's plan to increase the minimum wage shows that the national economic recovery is running 'on the track'. The success of handling the COVID-19 pandemic has made the wheels of the economy turn again and the DPR will continue to oversee it," he said.

Previously, Puan had pushed for the increase in the minimum wage in 2022 to be realized optimally for the sake of restoring the welfare of the people, especially the workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We encourage that the 2022 minimum wage increase can improve the economy of the people who have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in the minimum wage must be able to meet the needs of the people," said Puan in a statement in Jakarta, Monday.

He asked the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) to consider workers' expectations because based on a survey of increasing commodity prices in the market from various regions, there was an increase in the price of most commodities.