Indonesia: 2.8 million factory workers on strike
About 2.8 million factory workers across Indonesia
have gone on a one-day strike to demand better pay and benefits, and to
protest against outsourcing.
A joint statement issued by several
labour unions said a total of 80 industrial estates in 24 cities were
impacted by the work stoppage.
The biggest demonstration took place in the capital, Jakarta, where more than 700 companies were closed down.
The
Kyodo news agency reports that police deployed 11,000 officers and
4,000 military personnel to monitor protests in the city, and to
"secure" rallies planned outside the Manpower Ministry, the State Palace
and the House of Representatives.
Keeping local jobs
Said
Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union, said
the workers want the government to stop outsourcing, which allows
companies to terminate working contracts without compensation, by 15
October.
An earlier deadline to review the outsourcing and cheap labour laws has not been met.
Another labor representative interviewed by the Jakarta-based network tvOne said workers wanted the minimum wage increased.
"In
Jakarta, to have a decent living, a worker must get a minimum wage of
3,750,000 rupiah (about 383 Australian dollars) a month, but we only get
1,529,150 rupiah (156 Australian dollars)," the representative said.
He
said the situation was particularly tense since the issuing of a Health
Ministry recommendation that workers share the cost of health insurance
premiums with their employers.
"Our life has been miserable with
the low wage, so why should we share payment of the premium? The
companies must fully pay the premium," the representative added.
Sumber: http://www.abc.net.au
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