Jakarta – Labour representatives from the Workers Challenge Alliance (AMB) demonstrated at the Supreme Court on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta on Monday August 20. They brought a giant banner with their demands and gave speeches calling on the government to pay attention to the welfare of workers and to enact a reasonable national wage.

Rain, which began falling at 12noon, caused the number of protesters to shrink to around 50. It did not however stop workers and their sympathisers from demanding that the Supreme Court resolve legal proceedings on labour issues without siding with employers.

“A similar demonstration is also being held in Bandung, West Java. They are being held intentionally to remind the government and the public about the fate of oppressed workers”, said Suripto, one of the demonstrators.

According to Suripto, the government needs to carry out political reforms as quickly as possible. One of these is abolishing systems of outsourcing, abolishing arbitrary dismissals on the basis of creating company stability and enacting a reasonable national minimum wage.

The workers and sympathisers started the demonstration at 9am at the Department of Labour and Transmigration on Jl. Jalan Gatot Subroto, before headed off for the Supreme Court. The protest will end at the State Palace.

According to protesters, ABM is also holding an action in Bandung at the West Java Governor’s office (the Gedung Sate building) and the West Java Regional House of Representatives. (nel)

[Translated by James Balowski.]