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City braces for labor rally
Around 10,000 workers are set to hold a rally on Tuesday along main roads in Jakarta, demanding financial security amid the worsening economy
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round 10,000 workers are set to hold a rally on Tuesday along main roads in Jakarta, demanding financial security amid the worsening economy.
Jakarta Labor Forum secretary-general Muhammad Toha said that the workers would deliver several demands for the central government and the city administration.
'The workers will ask for a safety net amid the worsening economy. They are worried that they may get laid off,' Toha told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Monday.
He said the workers' demands were for reduced prices of staple goods and gasoline and for the government to take measures to prevent major layoffs due to the worsening economy. Further, Toha said, the workers also asked that the central government limit the amount of foreign workers in the country as they were worried about their positions.
Toha added that the workers would ask the government to increase the minimum wage in 2016 by at least 22 percent.
'The prices of staple goods have continued to increase and we have calculated that the minimum wage should increase by at least 22 percent nationally. If not, workers will barely be able to afford staple goods,' Toha said.
The provincial minimum wage in Jakarta is currently Rp 2.7 million (US$191.86).
The Jakarta Traffic Police will implement traffic controls from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday to minimize traffic jams during the labor rally, which is set to start at 9 a.m. involving roughly 10,000 workers from Jakarta, Depok and Bekasi in West Java, and Tangerang in Banten.
Jakarta Traffic Police education and traffic engineering subdirectorate head Adj. Comr. Ipung Purnomo said that the police would impose traffic controls according to the situation.
The plan will be situational. If the rally involves a large crowd, we will close road access and divert the flow of traffic,' said Ipung on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.
Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama said that the rally would be directed to the National Monument (Monas), Central Jakarta, in order to minimize traffic congestion.
'We will direct the rally to Monas. Monas park is large and the workers can hold their protest there. We will prepare Monas for the rally and will provide facilities such as toilets,' Ahok told reporters at City Hall on Monday.
Further, Ahok said that he would facilitate talks between the workers, the Manpower Ministry and the Health Ministry.
'City Hall is open if the ministers want to hold a dialogue with the workers. City Hall is close to the protest area and would be easier for the workers to reach on foot,' Ahok said.
