Jakarta – Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) president Said Iqbal says that the KSPI will declare its support for Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) chairperson Prabowo Subianto as candidate for the 2019 presidential election.

On April 19-20, representatives from some 42 organisations gathered in Jakarta to take part in the People’s Movement Conference (KGR).

Moh Nadlir, Jakarta – The Labour Movement for the People (Gebrak) will call for the formation of a political alternative at May Day demonstrations or the commemoration of International Labour Day on May 1.

Viva democracy and equality!

March 8, 2018, is exactly 118 years since the Women’s Conference in Denmark which set March 8 as International Women’s Day (IWD).

Bekasi – The Populist Democratic Trade Union (Serikat Buruh Demokratik Kerakyatan, SEDAR) held a mass meeting attended by more than 400 members on Sunday March 4. The meeting was held to prepare for International Women’s Day (IWD) which falls on March 8.

Sherr Rinn – The National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian military (TNI) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which Polri can request assistance from the TNI to secure protest actions and labour strikes.

Yuli Yanna Fauzie, Jakarta -- According to the Ministry of Labour (Kemenaker) a total of 9,822 workers were dismissed (PHK) between January and November 2017 involving 2,345 cases throughout Indonesia.

Moh Jumri, Jakarta – The Indonesia Student Union (SMI) held an action at the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Technology Research (Kemenristek-Dikti) in Jakarta on Monday October 23.

Arbi Sumandoyo – “Jakarta is filthy. We have to be macho. Jakarta is filthy. It must be cleaned up... must be cleaned up”, shouted a speaker through a loudspeaker from a command vehicle on May Day in front of the Jakarta City Hall.

“So make a pile. All in one place. We’ll clean the City Hall of these unclear messages...”

Timika – Thousands of workers in Mimika, West Papua, commemorated International Labour Day or May Day by demanding that the Indonesian government immediately resolve the problems at the PT Freeport Indonesia (PFI) gold and copper mine.

Edzan Raharjo, Yogyakarta – International Labour Day or May Day was commemorated by a number of different groups with rallies in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. The main location for the protests was the Jl. Malioboro shopping district and the zero kilometre point in front of the central post office.

Jakarta – Workers from the Association of Indonesian Trade Unions (GSBI) rallying at the Jakarta town hall on May 1 have demanded wage increases and an end to outsourcing end exploitative apprenticeships.

Worker representatives also demanded that the Jakarta provincial government (Pemprov DKI) end forced evictions in the capital.

Prins David Saut, Denpasar – Workers in Bali enlivened May Day by demanding increases to the provincial minimum wage (UMP) and dancing as they read out their demands.

Ahmad Fikri, Bandung – Actions by a variety of groups celebrating Labour Day or May Day on May 1 in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung were centred on Jl. Diponegoro in front of the Sate Building, the West Java governor’s office.

Rezki Alvionitasari, Jakarta – Thousands of workers commemorated International Labour Day today, Monday May 1, by gathering in front of the National Monument (Monas) gates on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan and Jl. M. H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta and at the nearby Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle.

Aprianto Simon, Palu – Scores of students from the Women’s Struggle Front (FPP) commemorated Kartini Day in the South Sulawesi city of Palu on Friday April 21 with a free speech forum and long-march around the Nusantara-Talise pavilion.

Yulius Martony, Bali – Papuan students, Ahmadiyah housewives and National Student Front (FMN) activists under the banner of the Bali Women’s Alliance (APB) commemorated International Women’s Day (IWD) with a rally in front of the Bali governor’s office on Wednesday March 8.

Jakarta – A demonstration by thousands of people in Jakarta calling on Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama to be arrested and charged for blasphemy has elicited a variety of responses from labour groups.

Fahrizal Syam, Makassar – Thousands of workers from various different trade unions in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar held a rally to commemorate Labour Day at the flyover on Jl. Urip Sumiharjo Makassar on Sunday May 1.

Puji Sukiswanti, Denpasar – Hundreds of workers from the United Balinese Labour Alliance (ABBB) held a rally to commemorate International Labour Day which falls on May 1.