Workers Open The 2024 DKI UMP Sue Option To Court If Not In Accordance With Expectations

Labor demonstrations at DKI Jakarta City Hall/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono will announce the determination of an increase in the DKI Jakarta provincial minimum wage (UMP) in 2024 today. Ahead of the determination of the UMP, a group of workers held a demonstration in front of the DKI Jakarta City Hall.

The chairman of the DKI Jakarta SPSI LEM FSP DPD, Yusup Suprapto, is always a labor representative, saying that his party has opened the option to sue the determination of the 2024 DKI UMP to the court if its value does not match their expectations.

"Kitq will see how much he (Heru) has set. Apart from conveying his aspirations as part of the political process and democracy in this country, we can also take legal action. We can question it to institutions related to the judiciary, namely the Administrative Court (State Administrative Court). That is possible," said Yusup at DKI City Hall, Tuesday, November 21.

For now, workers are still holding demonstrations as an effort to convey their aspirations. This activity, he said, was also held in various cities in Indonesia under the name Action of One Million Workers. After the UMP is determined, the workers will prepare the next steps in responding to the increase in wages.

"We just have to see that we just have to talk about it because this is not the only issue, it's not just one element of federation. These are various kinds of federations in DKI Jakarta, there are more than 17 federations," he explained.

Even though the chances are slim, the workers still hope that Heru is willing to determine the amount of the 2024 UMP increase according to their wishes, which is 15 percent to around Rp5.6 million.

Yusup assessed that the 15 percent increase in the UMP was sufficient limit for workers to meet their daily needs. Remember, this year, the price of basic necessities continues to increase.

"As a note, last year alone he (Heru) dared to determine the increase was 5.6 percent. This means that we hope that he can provide a proper increase as proposed by the trade union, labor union, that the increase is IDR 5.6 million," he explained.

For information, the determination of the value of the 2024 UMP will be stated in the governor's decision (kepgub). Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono has until November 21, 2023 to sign the governor's decree.

The determination of the amount of the UMP as outlined in the gubernatorial decree is based on the evaluation of the Wage Council session discussed by the government, elements of entrepreneurs, elements of workers, and other stakeholders.

The Wage Council session which was held on Friday, November 17 at the DKI Jakarta City Hall had been tough. Like in previous years, members of the Wage Council from elements of entrepreneurs disagreed with the elements of workers in recommending an increase in the UMP.

Finally, the Wage Council session produced three different recommendations. Recommended Jakarta UMP in 2024 from the entrepreneur's element of IDR 5,043,068. This amount is generated from the formula regulated in Government Regulation (PP) Number 51 of 2023 concerning Wages using alpha 0.20 from DKI Jakarta's economic growth.

Meanwhile, the labor group gave a recommendation for the value of the 2024 UMP of IDR 5,637,068. They did not use the formula (PP) Number 51 of 2023 which became a reference for the central government, but 1.89 percent of DKI Jakarta inflation, plus 4.96 percent of DKI Jakarta's economic growth, plus a certain index of 8.15 percent.

The government element also provides recommendations that still refer to PP Number 51 of 2023. However, the DKI Provincial Government uses alpha 0.30 from Jakarta's economic growth which produces a figure of Rp5,067,381.

Some time ago, Heru gave a signal that he would follow the proposal of the Wage Council for elements of the DKI Provincial Government in determining the 2024 UMP. The DKI Provincial Government recommends a 2024 UMP of IDR 5,067,381. This nominal increased by IDR 165,583 or 3.378 percent from the 2023 UMP of IDR 4,901,798.

"The result is in accordance with (recommendation of elements of the government), 0.3. Later, the governor's decision," said Heru on Sunday, October 19.