Situation is Calm Today in Batam after Worker Riot Last Week

Today (Nov 28, 2011) in Batam island was calm and all activity running as usual despite of some SMS rumor yesterday that today will be another big demonstration, today situation is really peaceful different from few days ago when some angry workers demanding higher minimum wages took to the streets, vandalizing buildings and police posts.

This situation may be caused by the Riau Islands Governor Sani M, on this day set a minimum wage increase in the City Batam in year 2012 for 1.31 million Rupiah increase Rp130,000 from last year minimum wages Rp1.18 million

This minimum wages city (MSEs) scale is determined from the three figures that have been proposed by Wage Council Kepri post-action labor unrest last week.

Although the determination of this number means is Rp450,000 under the Union proposal which proposes magnitude MSEs Rp1.76 million or equivalent to their real minimum survived wages survey. And was Rp 50,000 higher at the suggestion of entrepreneurs amounting to Rp1.26 million or equivalent to the minimum survive wages survey version of entrepreneurs. While this figure also higher from the initial proposal Batam City Government amounting to Rp1.30 million.

M Sani (Riau Islands Governor) said to take immediate provision of this MSE increase after reaching a deal with unions at a meeting with representatives of Trade Unions in Tanjung Pinang, on Sunday.

In the process of meeting with the union last week, the provincial government also received the aspirations of Trade Unions who want Batam City Government abolished the tax for the boarding-lodging and restaurants so as not to burden the earnings of workers in paying the rent and meet food needs.

In addition, the provincial government is also ready to ease the burden of labor from the transportation sector by increasing the bus fleet workers. While also improving the quality of workers by providing training, encouraging cooperatives for workers and relocate the Court of Industrial Law (PHI) to Batam.

"The size of this figure is below the proposed work, and we set this by adding the value of the consideration with which they were received by MSE policy of eliminating such taxes and transportation," Sani added.

Setting process is taken during tripartite negotiations between Batam City Government, Employers and unions do not meet the agreement. Even at the end of the last rallies of workers demanding higher MSEs in batam for year 2012, Rp 1.76 million expires uproar after Mayor Batam not meet representatives of the rally.

Labor protests last week had resulted in 1500 company in Batam paralyzed and estimated to have accumulated losses up to U.S. $ 300 million dollars.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI) Batam, Syaiful Badri said this deal was accepted reluctantly by SPSI.

Even so, Syaiful said that this new determination of 2012 MSEs value does not guarantee there will be no protests from the workers who demanded the amount of MSEs of Batam in 2012, Rp 1.76 million or equivalent to their real minimum survived wages survey. (Bisnis Indonesia, 28 November 2011, http://www.bisnis.com/articles/gubernur-kepri-tetapkan-umk-kota-batam-rp1-31-juta )

But we as community in this beautiful Batam Island certainly hope that the situation can be kept safe and secure in future.