Jakarta, Dec. 17 -- Minister of Manpower Yassierli assured that there would be no reduction in minimum wages, even in some regions experiencing negative economic growth.

"There is certainly no concept of wages being lowered. If economic growth is negative, the Regional Wage Council will still consider increases based on inflation," Yassierli said during a meeting at the Ministry of Manpower office here on Wednesday.

He explained that the wage increase formula is inflation + (Economic Growth x Alpha), with an Alpha range of 0.5-0.9 points. This ensures wages will continue to rise even if a region records negative economic growth.

According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), two provinces experienced negative economic growth in the...