Thousands of workers commemorate Labor Day

Thousands of workers commemorate Labor Day

JAKARTA (JP): Workers across the country rallied in observance
of International Labor Day on Monday to voice their demands,
including a 100 percent pay increase.

At least 1,500 workers from various organizations grouped
under the National Front Struggle for Indonesian Workers (FNPBI)
held a demonstration at the House of Representatives to air their
demands.

Apart from the salary hike, the workers urged the government
to reinstate International Labor Day as a national holiday, as it
was during the administration of founding president Sukarno.

"We demand the day dedicated to workers be a paid holiday,"
FNPBI chairwoman Dita Indah Sari said.

Dita, who is also an activist from the People's Democratic
Party (PRD), said workers were also calling on the government not
to increase fuel prices.

Artists and students joined the rally, as did a number of PRD
branch organizations, such as the People and Workers Committee
for Reform, the National Farmers Union and the People's Art
Network.

Hundreds of dismissed workers from Reebok shoe producer PT
Kong Tai Indonesia, who have been gathered at the House for
weeks, mingled with the rally participants.

A worker from private firm PT Tongkyong Indonesia tied himself
to a statue in front of the House building to protest his and his
friends' dismissals.

With the House on recess, no legislators were present to meet
with the workers.

Separately, hundreds of workers from the Greater Jakarta
Workers Union marched from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on
Jl. Thamrin to the National Monument, voicing the same demands as
those workers rallying at the House.

Labor Day was also observed in the major cities of Surabaya,
Semarang, Bandung and Medan.

In the East Java capital of Surabaya, demonstrators included
workers from plasticware company PT Maspion and cigarette
producer PT Gudang Garam. They rejected the labor bill which is
now being deliberated in the House, saying it restricted workers'
rights.

Some 150 workers took to the streets of Semarang, the capital
of Central Java, to demand better treatment. Gathering at the
provincial legislature building, the demonstrators, who claimed
to represent the North Coast Workers Association and at least six
non-governmental organizations, demanded the government declare
May 1 a national holiday.

They were received by a group of legislators, led by the
deputy speaker of the legislative council, Ircham Abdurrochim.

In Bandung, about 200 people from the People's Coalition of
FNPBI staged a protest at the provincial legislature building on
Jl. Diponegoro, demanding a 100 salary hike and freedom to create
labor unions.

The group sang anticapitalism songs and waved banners before
meeting with councilors, who promised to deliver their demands to
the government.

Some 3,000 workers from the Medan Independent Workers Union
also held a rally to demand wage increases.
(39/25/nur/har/edt/sur/jun)