Indoleft | 100 thousand workers in Jakarta descend on State Palace for May Day

Home > South-East Asia >> Indoleft

100 thousand workers in Jakarta descend on State Palace for May Day

Republika - May 1, 2012

Soldier assaulted as thousands of Papuans take to the streets on May Day - Detik News. May 1, 2012
13 arrested on May 1 as thousands of Papuans demand independence - Viva News. May 1, 2012
Workers in Aceh call for ratification of labour law, social security - Atjeh Post. May 1, 2012
New left alliance in Yogyakarta launches street petition campaign - Harian Jogya. April 28, 2012
2 percent control 56 percent of Indonesia's national assets - Kompas. April 26, 2012

Jakarta – As many as 100,000 workers from an alliance of trade unions held May Day action in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday May 1 demanding welfare for the working class.

The protesters came from the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI), the Confederation of the All-Indonesian Workers Union (KSPSI), the Confederation of Prosperity Labor Unions (KSBSI), the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), the National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy (JALA PRT), the Indonesian Association of Trade Unions (ASPEK) and the Indonesian Metal Trade Workers Federation (FSPMI).

The protesters, who packed the area north of the National Monument in front of the State Palace, demanded that the government pay serious attention to workers' welfare, including establishing life-long universal healthcare insurance by January 1, 2014 (including for assistant, honorary and contract teachers) and establishing a compulsory pension insurance shame for workers by July 1, 2015.

They also demanded that the reasonable living cost index (KHL) be raised through a revision to Department of Labour and Transmigration Regulation Number 17/2005 on KHL. In addition to this they called for the abolition of outsourcing systems (contract labour), providing subsidies to workers and their families through state and regional budgets (housing, education, healthcare and transportation subsidies) and for May 1 to be made into a national holiday.

At 1pm the protesters disbanded and moved off to the Bung Karno Sports Stadium after giving speeches for around one-and-a-half hours. The protest action proceeded in an orderly manner without any disturbances. As of filing this story, traffic was still being redirected since a number of demonstrators were still in the vicinity of the State Palace.

[Massa Buruh Tuntut Kesejahtaraan di Depan Istana - Republika.co. Selasa, 01 Mei 2012. Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski.]

See also:

Subscribe to Indoleft

Indoleft is an English-language news service produced by the People's Liberation Party (PPR) and APSN. Postings are translated from Indonesian language news reports, statements and publications not otherwise available in English. If you would like to subscribe free to this service just send a blank message to <indoleft-subscribe@lists.riseup.net> and you will be automatically added to the list (APSN’s news update subscribers automatically receive INDOLEFT).