Ihsan Dalimunthe – Workers are sick and tired of the empty promises made by the political elite and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. It is time for workers to have their own political vehicle that is born out of their own womb.
Such was the declaration shouted by one of the speakers at a workers’ mass action in front of the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta on Friday May 1.
“It’s time for workers to build a political force that is born out of the people’s womb and challenge the capitalist system in Indonesia. So our next task is to unify the forces of labour that are still fragmented”, shouted the speaker.
With a political force formed by the working class, then of course there would be guarantees for the struggle of workers and employees in Indonesia from all sectors.
“We cannot focus on our differences any more, we need worker unity. Because the political elite and the Jokowi-JK [Vice President Jusuf Kalla] regime have clearly neglected the working class. Removing subsidies, prices keep going up, fuel prices are set by the market. This cannot be allowed. President Jokowi is not a people’s president”, shouted another speaker.
In addition to this, workers believe that they are exploited by the political elite in order for them to get into power by selling endless promises to pay attention to the working class.
“We cannot trust the [political] elite that are in power, those in power and those coming to power, those that would replace the president, ministers and the DPR [House of Representatives], the people including workers are still suffering. We have been lied to enough by the political elite, the president and his ministers”, said one of the speakers who appeared wearing the uniform of the Indonesian Labour Forum of Struggle (FPBI). (wid)
[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Di Depan Istana, Buruh Teriak Jokowi Bukan Presiden Rakyat.]
