Budi Hartadi, Malang – Thousands of workers in East Java city of Malang commemorated May Day by blockading the road in front of the mayor’s office on Jalan Tugu.

As well as the demonstration in front of the mayor’s office workers also held an action in the grounds of the Gajayana Stadium and the Malang City square.

During the action workers called on the government to make May 1 a national holiday and for the government to immediately abolish all anti-worker policies which are contained in Law Number 13/2003 on Labour Affairs and Law Number 2/2004 on the Settlement of Industrial Disputes as well as an end to liberalisation in the labour sector.

“Workers are being dismissed, workers’ wages do not conform to the minimum regional wage and fuel price increase indicate that the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-president Jusuf Kalla are puppets of imperialism”, shouted a worker during a speech.

As well as giving speeches, they also brought a number of posters with the messages such as “Stop fuel price increases”, “Increase workers’ wages” and “Fuel price increase are further strangling the working class”.

The action was also joined by a number of activists from the Joint People’s Movement against Fuel Price Increases, the People’s Democratic Action Committee, Indonesian Labour Solidarity for Struggle and the Malang branch of the All Indonesia Trade Union.

Although the action proceeded in an orderly manner, hundreds of police officers were deployed to maintain security and supervise the hundreds of workers commemorating May Day. (asy)

[Translated by James Balowski.]