Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Workers had their own way of commemorating the anniversary of Indonesia’s independence. Around 80 protesters from the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) held an demonstration among the factories in the Nusantara Bonded Zone (KBN) in Cakung, North Jakarta on Friday August 17.

The event, which was organised to commemorate the struggle by workers over the 62 year since Indonesia has been independent, was organized by gathering in front of the company PT Yeon Heung Megasari at the Cakung KBN.

“We are not actually commemorating independence day, [because] were not independent yet, right”, said FNPBI coordinator Jumisih. According to Jumisih, many workers at the moment are still repressed. “Many of our holidays are unpaid. Aside from this there are arbitrary dismissals and women workers often experience sexual harassment”, he said.

During the event they also erected a large black banner with their demands which included “Repudiating the foreign debt” and “Nationalising foreign mining [companies] and factories for the welfare of the people”. They also read poems of struggle and shouted slogans of labour struggle while holding up posters with their demands. (mly/umi)

[Translated by James Balowski.]