Imam Santoso, Jakarta – Thousands of workers from Jakarta and the nearby cities of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Karawang, Purwakarta, Serang and Cilegon are gathering at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta to commemorate International Labour Day Wednesday.

Muhamad Rusdi, from the Indonesian Trade Union Council (MPBI) working body, said that workers from nine cities had been gathering at the Hotel Indonesia since 8am and will head off to the nearby State Palace at 10.30am.

According to Rusdi, a section of the workers would remain at the Palace until 6pm, while the rest would move off to the House of Representatives (DPR) building and a number of government offices at 1pm. These will include the Finance Ministry, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Ministry for State Owned Enterprises, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour and Transmigration.

Workers from the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), the Confederation of Prosperity Labour Unions (KSBSI) and the Confederation of the All-Indonesian Workers Union (KSPSI), which are part of the MPBI, conveyed a number of demands at the May 1 action this year.

This included, among others, rejecting the government’s planned fuel price hike that will have an impact on the price of basic goods and demanding revisions to Ministry of Labour Regulation Number 13/2012 on the Reasonable Living Cost Index (KHL).

The workers also rejected low wages for workers and non-procedural deferments by companies on paying the minimum wage as well as demanding the abolition of contract labour, thuggery against workers, the enactment of the Draft Law on Domestic Workers and revisions to Migrant Worker Law Number 39/2004.

[Ribuan buruh berkumpul di Bundaran HI Jakarta – Antara. Rabu, 1 Mei 2013. Translated by James Balowski.]