Arif Wicaksono, Jakarta – Labour organisations are proposing the establishment of an alternative political party that would take up pro-people programs for the Indonesian nation. Up until now, there has been no political party that has been capable of providing welfare for the ordinary Indonesian people.

Aji Saktiyanto, Bandar Lampung – Workers holding a demonstration to commemorate International Labour Day at the Bandar Lampung Adipura Monument in the provincial capital of Lampung on May 1 demanded that their wages not be deducted as dues to pay for social security by the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS).

Desy Afrianti, Stella Maris – In a speech in front of the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta, Sri, the general secretary of the Association of Independent Trade Unions (GSBI) asserted that workers would not support Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo alias Jokowi as the next president of the Republic of Indonesia.

Agus Setyadi, Banda Aceh – A hundred or so workers in the Acehnese provincial capital of Banda Aceh held prayers on a main street for the close of demonstrations commemorating Labour Day in Aceh. The workers, who came from Acehnese trade unions, demanded welfare improvements and rejected low wages.

Jakarta – Hundreds of thousands of workers from an alliance of several trade unions will take to the streets to celebrate International Labour Day or May Day on May 1. Actions held in at least 20 of Indonesia’s 33 provinces.

Sasmito Madrim, Jakarta – Hundreds of women demonstrated in the vicinity of the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta to commemorate International Women’s Day today on Saturday March 8.

Yogya – Scores of students from the Student Struggle Center for National Liberation (Pembebasan) held an action in solidarity with the October 31-November 1 national strike in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. The action, which was held in front of the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace, was marked with the lighting of one thousand candles.

Agita Sukma Listyanti, Surabaya – Protesting workers are threatening to occupy the East Java governor’s office in the provincial capital of Surabaya if their demands for a regional and municipal minimum wage (UMK) of 3 million rupiah a month are not met, saying that for workers this amount is non-negotiable.

Semarang – Hundreds for workers from the Indonesian Metal Trade Workers Federation (FSPMI) in the Central Java provincial capital of Semarang have blockaded the Java northern coast (pantura) road demanding that the Central Java governor agree to a 3 million rupiah a month minimum wage for workers.

Jakarta – Former labour activist Dita Indah Sari says that a mature labour movement must strengthen its “negotiating muscles” or capacity to negotiate with individual companies rather then organise big demonstrations to achieve wage settlements.

According to a labour observer, although wages continue to rise, the real value of workers’ wages has declined so workers are being impoverished structurally.

Sulistiyono, Jakarta – Labour Movement National Committee (KNGB) member Said Iqbal has confirmed that a national strike will be held in late October and will be joined by millions of workers and include, among other things, demands for the abolition of outsourcing.

Jakarta – Thousands of workers from Jakarta and surrounding areas demonstrated demanding welfare improvements on Thursday October 17. The action created traffic jams between Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, Jl Thamrin, the Indonesia traffic circle and in the vicinity of the State Palace. Similar protest were held in West and East Java.

Jakarta – The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) and several other labour associations have emphatically rejected the issuance of a presidential instruction (Inpres) on limiting wage rises in order to stimulate the economy and overcome a slump in the value of the rupiah.

Alsadad Rudi, Jakarta – The Cross-Factory Labour Forum (FBLP) disputes the claim that four South Korean companies have left Jakarta. The companies that were cited as having closed, PT Hansol 1, PT Hansai 5, PT Winner 3 and PT Olimpic, are still operating in the Nusantara Bonded Zone (KBN) in the Cakung industrial area of East Jakarta.

Imam Santoso, Jakarta – Thousands of workers from Jakarta and the nearby cities of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Karawang, Purwakarta, Serang and Cilegon are gathering at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta to commemorate International Labour Day Wednesday.

[The following is a joint statement by the Yogyakarta Working People’s Association-Political Organisation Congress (KPO-PRP), the Politics of the People (PR) and the People’s Liberation Party (PPR).]

Jakarta – Workers from the Joint Labour Secretariat (Sekber Buruh) have agreed to hold a national strike on October 3. They are demanding the abolition of outsourcing and contract labour systems, which they insist harms the working class.

Today, May 1, coinciding with the commemoration of International Labour Day, the Greater Jakarta Joint Labour Secretariat (Sekber Buruh) again took to the streets. This was done as a protest and as our responsibility to convince the majority of people that this beloved country is still living in misery.

Adan Bakar, Lampung – A May Day action in the South Sumatra city of Lampung ended in chaos on Tuesday after scores of protesters were involved in a clash with public order agency officers (Satpol PP). As a result one student was injured.