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Journalists in Bandung call on media workers to form trade unions

Merdeka - May 1, 2016

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Andrian Salam Wiyono – A commemoration of International Labour Day or May Day was also held in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung where journalists from various different trade unions demonstrated in front of the governor's office on Jl. Diponegoro on May 1.

Bandung city Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) chairperson Adi Marsiela called on media companies to put an end to all labour violations saying that May Day should be used by the government to supervise media companies and audit the conditions of workers in the media sector.

"In Indonesia there are around two thousand media companies [while] there are only 40 media trade unions. But only 20 are active", said Marsiela in a speech.

The AJI workers also brought posters with messages such as "Journalists are also Workers" and "Journalists Demand Decent Wages".

Marsiela also called on journalists to form trade unions to protect journalists. "We also call on journalists to form trade unions in their respective companies", he asserted.

AJI also conveyed a number of demands during the action including that the owners and management of media companies provide social security for their journalists, set decant wages in each region and that regional governments apply a sectoral wage for media workers.

They also called on the government to audit the conditions of workers at media companies and for journalists to be aware of and pioneer the formation of trade unions in their companies.

According to Merdeka's observations, the solidarity action proceeded peacefully with an estimated 500 workers taking to the streets to voice their demands. (war)

[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski for the Indoleft news service. The original title of the report was Jurnalis juga ikut demo buruh di Gedung Sate: Mari berserikat!.]

Source: http://www.merdeka.com/peristiwa/jurnalis-juga-ikut-demo-buruh-di-gedung-sate-mari-berserikat.html.

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