Tempo
Interactive - May 1, 2010
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.
The students
came from a number of different organisations including the 10 November
Institute of Technology Student Executive Council (BEM), the Surabaya
Indonesian National Student Movement (GMNI) Surabaya and the Surabaya National
Student Front (FMN).
In addition
to bringing flags, banners and posters, the student also took turns in giving
speeches. "All of the complexities of labour problems are because the
administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President
Boediono has never sided with workers", said action coordinator Muh Affan.
Because of this therefore, they should both resign.
Workers also
gave speeches. The coordinator of the East Java Workers Challenge Alliance
(ABM-JT), Jamaluddin, called on the government to immediately implement the
mandate of Law Number 40/2004 on Social Security Systems. "Without social
security, the very low wages will make workers suffer more," he said.
Jamaluddin
also called on the government to immediately abolish contract labour systems,
which violate the law, and for the government to strengthen labour supervision.
[Slightly
abridged translation by James Balowski.]
