TEMPO.CO, Semarang - Banjarnegara and Purworejo are the regencies that propose the lowest amount of monthly minimum wage (UMK) in Central Java with an amount less than Rp 1 million (around US$85.92).

"Banjarnegara proposed an UMK of Rp 920,000 [around US$79.04] while Purworejo proposed an UMK of Rp 910,000 [around US$78.19]," said the Coordinator of the Struggling Laborers Movement (Gerbang) Prabowo, in Central Java.

Prabowo mentioned that the proposed minimum wage is far from the decent living standard.

"It should be re-evaluated because it is definitely a disadvantage for laborers," said Prabowo.

Gerbang's calculation on laborers wage reported that laborers in Central Java should at least receive a minimum wage of more than Rp 1 million. He mentioned that laborers in the Cilacap area earned a minimum wage of Rp 1,098,000 (around US$94.34), along with other compensation.

Prabowo expected the Central Java Governor Ganjar to reject the amount of minimum wage proposed by Banjarnegara and Purworejo, and urged them to re-calculate the number based on survey and inflation rate.

However, the acting chief of Central Java Employment and Transmigration Office Wika Bintang, mentioned that the number has been assessed and declared sufficient to meet decent living standard.

EDI FAISOL