Jakarta – Thousands of workers from various different labour organisations and alliances arrived in waves at the State Palace on Jl. Merdeka Utara to commemorate May Day on Saturday May 1.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – May Day was also commemorated by hundreds of workers in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta with demands for the abolition of contract labour, wage increases and for May 1 to be designated as a national holiday.

Rohman Taufiq, Surabaya – Students in the Central Java provincial capital of Surabaya enlivened a protest action when they joined workers commemorating May Day on Saturday May 1 in front of the State Grahadi building.

Muchus Budi R., Solo – Hundreds of workers in the Central Java city of Solo commemorated May Day by holding a cultural action and free speech forum, in which they rejected the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) agreement and planned electricity rate hikes.

Khairul Ikhwan, Medan – Commemorating May Day today, thousands of students, workers and social organisations held a long-march through the main streets of the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan on Saturday May 1.

Arif Ardiansyah, Jakarta – Journalists from the print and electronic media in the South Sumatra city of Palembang commemorated May Day on Saturday May 1 expressing concerns about union busting and low wages in the media industry.

Muhammad Taufik, Mojokerto – The commemoration of May Day in the East Java city of Mojokerto on Saturday May 1 was joined by around 5,000 workers from various parts of the regency who held a protest action in front of the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and the regional government offices.

Ratih P Sudarsono, Bogor – Around 400 workers in the city of Bogor commemorated May Day by spending Saturday afternoon enjoying popular dangdut music at the Bogor Botanical Gardens.

Ahmad Fikri, Bandung – A number of labour and peasant organisations in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung commemorated May Day by holding a protest action in front of the governor’s office.

Women are not just housewives. They are not second class citizens.

The following is a compilation of abridged translations of the January 28 protest actions held around the country to commemorate the first 100 days of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's second administration. The reports are ordered alphabetically by city.

The North Sumatra Pro-Democracy Movement says that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono, as well as the rotten political elite, have failed to implement the mandate to end the Indonesian people’s suffering.

Judi Prasetyo, Jombang – Workers from the Independent Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI-Independen) have agreed to boycott the coming July 8 presidential elections by not using their right to vote or to golput.

Caroline Damanik, Jakarta – Labour activist Dita Indah Sari believes that presidential and vice presidential candidates Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto (JK-WIN) are the partnership that most connects with workers.

Muchus Budi R., Solo – Labour Day, May 1, was commemorated in a number of cities and in various ways. In the Central Java city of Solo, scores of workers from the Solidarity Trade Union Federation (FSBSK) held a ‘squatting’ action to symbolise the oppression of workers, including domestic workers.

Muhammad Nur Abdurrahman, Makassar – International Labour Day was also commemorated by thousands of workers in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, who held a long-march to the governor’s office.

Reno Nugraha, Cirebon – Scores of workers and students took to the streets in the West Java city of Cirebon on May 1 to commemorate International Labour Day, blockading the Jakarta-Cirebon northern coast road at Jl. Brigjen Darsono.

Wisnu Aji Dewabrata, Palembang – A International Labour Day demonstration in Palembang, South Sumatra on Friday May 1 took place without the presence of workers.

Depok – In the lead up to the commemoration of International Labour Day or May Day, the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM) and the Greater Jakarta Railway Workers Trade Union (SPKAJ) are planning massive actions in Jakarta on May 1.

Jakarta – The increasing use of contract labour is undermining the strength of national trade unions and making it difficult for workers to struggle for decent working conditions.