Reno Nugraha, Cirebon – Scores of workers and students took to the streets in the West Java city of Cirebon on May 1 to commemorate International Labour Day, blockading the Jakarta-Cirebon northern coast road at Jl. Brigjen Darsono.

The protesters, who came from the Cirebon City Youth and Social Struggle Alliance also set fire to tyres and held a’sleep-in in the middle of the road resulting in a 5 kilometre traffic jam.

In speeches, the workers demanded the abolition of contract labour systems saying that this only brings suffering to workers and benefits the interests of capitalism. “Reject outsourcing systems that treats workers as if they are enslaved, worse still [they] are enslaved by their own country,” said action coordinator Hendra on Friday May 1.

As of 2pm the blockade was still in place forcing police to redirect the flow of traffic through alternative routes. (djo/djo)

[Translated by James Balowski.]