Workers demand governor's resignation

Workers demand governor's resignation

BATAM, Riau Islands: Some 5,000 workers on Batam staged another
protest on Tuesday, demanding Riau Islands acting governor Ismeth
Abdullah's resignation over his failure to improve workers'
welfare.

The acting governor was condemned for not raising the minimum
wage in Batam from Rp 635,000 (US$70.5) to Rp 728,000 a month, a
hike that the workers had been demanding for the last few months.

The protest on Tuesday almost ended in violence when hundreds
of security guards and police officers prevented the workers from
entering the governor's office compound in downtown Batam. -- JP