Atmi Pertiwi, Jakarta – Labour demonstrations have not just taken place in the main streets of the capital. In front of the official residence of Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo around 25 women workers from the Greater Jakarta area (Jabodetabek) and the Central Java city of Yogyakarta from the Women’s Action Committee (KAP) held a demonstration at 7am on Thursday May 1.

KAP spokesperson Estu Fanandi said they hoped to meet with Jokowi to discuss the plight of women workers in Jakarta. “We want to convey to him the real conditions of women workers in Jakarta”, she said. “They [women workers] are close to the centre of power, but their living standards are no different from other areas”.

During the action, the KAP brought a 1 metre square replica of the dark record of women workers in 2014 made out of Styrofoam. According to Fanandi the KAP, which is an alliance of 23 women’s labour non-government organisations, have been compiling the record since last year.

The record is filled with complaints about the rights of women workers that they said have worsened every year. Fanandi gave the example of normative rights for women workers that have yet to be met such as menstruation leave, maternity leave, facilities for night work, safety and security guarantees, breast feeding facilities and allowances without discrimination.

“Yet these rights are guaranteed by the law on labour”, she said. Moreover, said Fanandi, there are sill women workers who suffer sexual harassment. “By their superiors as well as male colleagues”.

After the action at Jokowi’s residence, the KAP will join with their colleagues in a demonstration at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta and then move on to the State Palace.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service.]

Source: https://id.berita.yahoo.com/buruh-perempuan-demo-jokowi-023732138.html