Bekasi City – Responding to the call for a national strike on November 24-27, on Tuesday November 24 thousands of workers in the city of Bekasi, West Java, held a convoy opposing Government Regulation Number 78/2015 on Wages.

The protesters, who came from the Bekasi City Labour Forum (FBKB) and the Fraternity of Indonesian Muslim Workers-United People’s Committee (PPMI-KPR), rallied along Jl. Ahmad Yani towards the Bekasi mayor’s office.

Protesters from the Solidarity Alliance for Labour Struggle (GSPB) could also be seen in a convoy head towards the same location which passed through Jl. Pondok Ungu, Medan Satria. Workers from the All Indonesia Democratic Trade Union Federation also took part.

Several different trade unions united in the action demanding the repeal of PP Number 78/2015 which determines annual wages increases based on the inflation rate and economic growth. Based on this formula, wage increases for 2016 have been set at no more than 11.5 percent.

“The administration of Jokowi-JK [President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla] has failed to fulfill their pledge to bring prosperity to workers. This has been demonstrated by the issuance of PP 78/2015 on wages. Workers will become even poorer”, FBKB chairperson Heru Budianto was quoted as saying by Berita Satu in a speech on top of the command car.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Buruh Bekasi Kota Berkonvoi Tolak PP Pengupahan.]

Source: http://solidaritas.net/2015/11/foto-buruh-bekasi-kota-berkonvoi-tolak-pp-pengupahan.html