Denpasar – Hundreds of protesters from the Balinese United Labour Movement (GBBB) alliance commemorated International Labour Day or May Day with a peaceful action in front of the Bali governor’s office in the provincial capital of Denpasar on Wednesday May 1.
The action, which began at 9 am, took up the theme “Time to Unit and Fight for Workers’ Welfare and Against the Anti-People’s Regime”.
Other groups which joined the alliance included the Balinese Independent Trade Union Federation (FSPM), the Denpasar Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indonesian Association of Catholic Students (PMKRI), the Indonesian Christian Students Movement (GMKI), the National Students Front (FMN), the Indonesia’s New Youth (PEMBARU), the Indonesian Women’s Union (SERUNI), the Association of Indonesian Hindu Students (KMHDI), the Democratic National Student Secretariat (SDMN) and the New Cultural Centre (PUSKEBA).
The protesters also brought posters and banners and in speeches made 11 demands including calling for an end to arbitrary sackings and low wages, revoking Government Regulation Number 78/2015 on Wages, abolishing outsourcing, contract labour, exploitative apprenticeships and day labouring, an end to trade unions busting and improving the supervision of foreign workers.
Other demands included calling for an end to wage and employment discrimination, an end to sexual harassment of women workers, providing employment for people with disabilities in accordance with Law Number 8/2016 on People with Disabilities, protecting Balinese workers, reducing the price of basic commodities, ending the commercialisation, privatisation and liberalisation of education, the abolition of Law Number 12/2012 on Higher Education and an end to single tuition fees (UKT) and internal supervisory units (SPI) on campus.
In a speech action coordinator Ida I Dewa Rai Budi Darsana said that they were concerned because there are still many violations and intimidation against workers.
“Many of our comrades are only used as contract labour and still there is frequent intimidation against workers who want to establish trade unions. We are asking the Balinese government to immediately draft a regional regulation to protect local labour, we very much hope that the Balinese government will side with Balinese citizens and Balinese workers”, he said.
Balinese regional police public relations head Senior Commissioner Hengky Widjaja said that they had deployed 2,147 personnel to provide security for May Day.
“The national police are obliged to escort and prove security so that the situation on the ground remains conducive. Everything that has been prepared can be actualised so that security for Labour Day this year runs optimally, securely and peacefully”, he said.
Widjaja added that because the commemoration of Labour Day is taking place shortly after the April 17 presidential and legislative elections the level of alert has been increased.
“Security is being applied in a humanitarian way and using a humanitarian and preventative approach”, he said in conclusion. (bar)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “May Day, Aliansi Masyarakat Gelar Aksi Damai Depan Kantor Gubernur”.]
