Edzan Raharjo, Yogyakarta – International Labour Day in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta was commemorated by thousands of workers from various different organisations who came together under the “People’s Movement” (Gerakan Rakyat) to hold a rally in the Malioboro shopping district on Friday May 1.
Rallying in front of the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Jl. Malioboro, the workers held a sit-in taking up the entire road. Vehicles had to be redirected to the slow lane causing traffic to slow to a crawl.
The protesters unfurled their respective organisational flags and posters with messages such as “Viva Labour Day, free Novel Baswedan (a Corruption Eradication Commission investigator arrested by the national police)”, “Don’t steal our rights” and “Unconditional menstruation leave for women [workers]”.
The rally was closely watched over by officers from the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) because other groups were also commemorating Labour Day in the vicinity of the DPRD. Brimob and female police officers also setup a barricade in front of the DPRD’s front gate and anyone wishing to enter was questioned by officials.
The workers from Gerakan Rakyat made a number of demands including, among others, decent wages for workers, the abolition of outsourcing systems, an end to fuel price increases and a decrease in the price of food.
“Provide six months maternity leave, fulfill the right to breast feed [at work] for women workers”, said Fransiska Maria from the Indonesia Breast-feeding Mothers Association (AIMI).
The workers then continued the action with a long-march to the zero kilometre point in front of the central post office under the tight police security.
[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Di Yogya, Buruh Rayakan Mayday Sambil Tuntut ‘Bebaskan Novel Baswedan’.]
