Mojokerto – Scores of activists from the Independent Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNBPI-Independent) held a protest action and distributed leaflets in front of the Mojokerto municipal government offices in East Java on Tuesday June 15.

The protesters called for Mojokerto regent elect’s first 100-day program to provide prosperity to the poor. If not, they threatened to hold even bigger protest actions.

Riding motorcycles, the demonstrators began gathering at the Mojokerto City Hero’s Cemetery at around 10am then moved off to the Mojokerto government offices.

FNBPI-Independent action coordinator Toha Maksum said that the leaflets are aimed at workers to encourage them to take part in an upcoming labour congress by taking up issues such as opposing basic electricity rate (TDL) hikes, fuel price increases, opposing revisions to the 2003 labour law and supporting Palestine solidarity actions as well as highlighting the situation in each region.

“We are calling for the KP-PPBI (Indonesian Labour Movement Union Preparatory Committee) to warn the regent elect over his 100-day program”, said Maksum.

Aside from social welfare for the poor, the governor elect was also called on to resolve labour problems such as mass dismissals and wages.

Although there were only a dozen or so activists at the action they received a special escort from police with police officers armed with shields and wooden batons outnumbering the protesters by 10 to 1. (ron/yr)

[Abridged translation by James Balowski.]