[The following is a translation of a leaflet and poster being circulated by the Working People's Association (Perhimpunan Rakyat Pekerja, PRP) as part of a campaign by radical Indonesian trade unions to socialise May Day.]

Iwan Setiyawan, Jakarta – Workers and employees in Indonesia are still not free to associate. This can be seen from the small number of trade unions in the workplace, that is around 5.8 percent out of a total of 189,000 companies in Indonesia.

Jakarta, Kompas – Increases in the inflation rate is putting increasing pressure on workers’ real wages. Because of this therefore, the government must, as soon as possible, realise intervention programs that can indirectly improve workers’ welfare, such as the construction affordable housing for workers.

Ken Yunita, Jakarta – The two candidates in the Jakarta gubernatorial elections, Adang Daradjatun and Fauzi Bowo, have been given a motion of no confidence by the Urban Poor Union (SRMK), the Indonesian Disabled People’s Association (PPCI) and the Indonesian Transsexual Forum (FWI).

Pekanbaru – Around 1,000 people from the Central People’s Movement (SEGERA) have cancelled a May 1 overnight occupation of the offices of the Riau governor because their demands for an investigation into the appropriation of local people’s land by the company PT. Arara Abadi have been met.

Dara, Banda Aceh – International Labour Day, which is known as May Day, was also commemorated in Aceh on May 1. Hundreds of representatives of labour organisations in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh held a peaceful rally on the grounds of the Acehnese Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and at the Simpang Lima roundabout.

[The following is a compilation of abridged translations taken from Detik.com on the May Day rallies held in Indonesia on May 1.]

State Palace 'attacked en masse' by thousand of workers

Jakarta – The Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM) is threatening to hold a national strike if the government fails to increase the national wage and abolish systems of contract labour and outsourcing.

Dita Indah Sari – The uproar over the planned revisions to the labour law has yet to subside. The character and process of the next round of deliberations of the revisions, which were agreed to in a meeting at the State Palace on April 7, have also been criticise by labour organisations.

After holding a meeting with trade union representatives on April 8, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared that the Draft Revision to Law Number 13/2003 on Labour that has already been circulating among the pubic is no longer valid.

After triggering a wave of protests, the government’s version of the draft revision of the labour law has been canceled.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – Concerned about their livelihoods that are being ground down by the advanced countries, though policies being driven by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), farmers, workers and fisherpeople are urging the minister of trade, Mari Elka Pengestu, to struggle for and to protect their welfare.

Jakarta – Lively commemorations of May Day on May 1 were celebrated in demonstrations by labour organisations, political parties and other social organisations in a number of parts of the country. The largest demonstrations were held in Jakarta and the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.

Deni Mukbar/Siswanto, Jakarta – May Day was commemorated today by hundreds of workers and mass organisations from Greater Jakarta at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta.

Ahmad Yunus, Bandung – May Day was also commemorated by workers in the West Java provincial of Bandung. Around 3,000 works spilled into the streets of Bandung organising a long-march and convoy.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – Commemorating May Day on May 1, thousands of workers inundated the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta resulting in a massive traffic jam on Jalan Sudirman.

Dian Intannia, Jakarta – Around 30 student activists, rural workers and urban-poor activists from the United People’s Alliance (Aliansi Rakyat Bersatu, ARB) are demanding that the government apply the concept of national industrialisation.

Badriah, Jakarta – Workers claim that as a group they are suffering most because of the government’s decision to increase the price of fuel on March 1 which has flowed on to increases in the price of basic goods.

Ahmad Yunus, Bandung – Around 100 women and farmers from the People’s Struggle Front (Front Perjuangan Rakyat) held an action commemorating International Women’s Day. In their action, the demonstrators who originate from Pengalengan in West Java, also opposed fuel price increases.

Jakarta – Around 1,000 workers from scores of different organisations demonstrated in front of the national parliament in Jakarta on Saturday May 1. During the action, the workers shouted and listened to a series of speeches by a number of labour activists.