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Labor rallies call on govt to stem the tide of slowing economy
For better welfare: Thousands of workers stage a rally in Jakarta on Tuesday
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For better welfare: Thousands of workers stage a rally in Jakarta on Tuesday. The protesters demanded the government better protect their rights, make health insurance more affordable and improve the pension system.(JP/Jerry Adiguna) (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
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span class="inline inline-center">For better welfare: Thousands of workers stage a rally in Jakarta on Tuesday. The protesters demanded the government better protect their rights, make health insurance more affordable and improve the pension system.(JP/Jerry Adiguna)
Around 13,000 workers from various labor unions in Greater Jakarta rallied in Central Jakarta on Tuesday and called on the government to take serious action to stem the ongoing economic slowdown that had already affected the purchasing power of workers.
The workers gathered at the Bank Indonesia traffic circle and marched to Presidential Palace, hoping that the President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo would come out and meet them.
The President did not come out until the rally had dispersed.
The workers, mostly metal workers, came from 40 labor unions affiliated with four confederations, including the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) and the All-Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI). They demanded the government lower the price of fuel and essential goods and not use the weakening rupiah as an excuse to lay off workers.
Ajis, 35, a worker from a textile company in Karawang, West Java, who joined the National Workers Union (SPN), said that the company he worked with had fired 10 fellow workers two months ago in an attempt to reduce production costs.
'The 10 workers who were laid off said the company did not give them compensation,' Ajis said during the rally.
Another worker, Hendra, 32, from the Indonesian Metal Workers Federation (FSPMI), also complained about the layoffs conducted by the component-making company for which he worked.
'The company has dismissed 400 out of the 800 workers in the production division. They are my friends and now they're unemployed,' said the resident of Cijantung in East Jakarta.
In response to the protest, Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said at the office of Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security that the ministry had instructed regional administrations to pay serious attention to the demands of workers.
'We've asked them to undertake better strategies to face the economic slowdown. We've persuaded them to use layoffs as the very last option,' he said.
By noon, the workers, who had gathered in the capital since dawn and had brought with them banners and flags, also gave speeches in front of the Presidential Palace, demanding the government raise the minimum wage by 25 percent in 2016.
Despite the heated nature of the protests, the rally ran peacefully and orderly.
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian said on, Tuesday that the police appreciated the way the workers had conducted the rally.
Labor rallies also took place in several other cities across the nation.
On Tuesday morning in North Sumatra, dozens of members of KSPI morning raided several major factories in Tanjung morawa, Deli Serdang regency, to force workers to join their rally.
The sweeping raids, however, were brief and received no resistance from the factories' security guards.
'We want to stage the rally to express our disagreement over the recent decision of our companies to lay off some of their workers due to the weakening rupiah,' KSPI's Deli Serdang branch official Romy said during the raids.
A few hours later, KSPI members gathered with hundreds of unionists from various organizations at the Maimoon Palace in Medan before marching together to the North Sumatra gubernatorial office to voice their protest.
Meanwhile in Cilacap regency, Central Java, at least 500 workers from various labor unions gathered in front of the Cilacap regional administration office to protest against the government's policy of allowing foreign workers, particularly those from China, to work in the country.
Rally coordinator Agus Hidayat said the policy would hurt local workers.
Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that as of August, Indonesia recorded a total of 54,000 foreign workers, of which 13,000 were Chinese nationals. 'We don't need to worry. China has around 30,000 Indonesian workers and they are fine with that,' Luhut said. (foy)
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