Mataram Manpower Office Takes Data On Companies Still Paying Half Salaries For Pandemic Reasons

Illustration of a start-up company workspace. (pixabay)

MATARAM - Companies that still give their employees a salary of half the city minimum wage (UMK) on the grounds of the COVID-19 pandemic will be recorded by the Manpower Office (Disnaker) of Mataram City, Nusa Tenggara Province.

The head of the Mataram Manpower Office, H Rudi Suryawan, admitted that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the average company paid employees' salaries of only half of the wages they usually receive every month or below the minimum wage for the year concerned.

"But currently the growth and economic conditions in Mataram City, in particular, have begun to improve. So we hope that employee salaries can be paid back in full according to the UMK," he said in Mataram.

The statement was conveyed in response to an employee of a company in Mataram City, who complained that the salary received every month since the beginning of COVID-19 is currently still half or below the UMK. Mataram's UMK in 2022 is IDR 2,416,953.

Related to this, Rudi asked workers who feel they have not received their rights in accordance with the provisions, immediately report in writing so that they can be followed up.

"Whoever it is, as long as he is an employee and has worked according to his obligations but does not get his rights according to the provisions, immediately report so that we can follow up," he said.

According to Rudi, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies did layoffs and paid half of their normal salary in order to keep the company running.

This policy was taken by the company based on an agreement with employees because at that time all companies experienced the same condition, namely a decrease in income.

But the current condition has gradually recovered and is much better, therefore it does not want the reasons for the pandemic to sacrifice employee rights.

"For this reason, we immediately go down to check the condition of companies in this city. If the condition of one company has improved, we ask for its employees to be paid full or normal wages," he said.