Radar
Mojokerto - June 16, 2010
Mojokerto –
Scores of activists from the Independent Indonesian National Front for Labour
Struggle (FNBPI-Independent) held a protest action and distributed leaflets in
front of the Mojokerto municipal government offices in East Java on Tuesday
June 15.
The
protesters called for Mojokerto regent elect’s first 100-day program to provide
prosperity to the poor. If not, they threatened to hold even bigger protest
actions.
Riding
motorcycles, the demonstrators began gathering at the Mojokerto City Hero's
Cemetery at around 10am then moved off to the Mojokerto government offices.
FNBPI-Independent
action coordinator Toha Maksum said that the leaflets are aimed at workers to
encourage them to take part in an upcoming labour congress by taking up issues
such as opposing basic electricity rate (TDL) hikes, fuel price increases,
opposing revisions to the 2003 labour law and supporting Palestine solidarity
actions as well as highlighting the situation in each region.
“We are
calling for the KP-PPBI (Indonesian Labour Movement Union Preparatory Committee)
to warn the regent elect over his 100-day program”, said Maksum.
Aside from
social welfare for the poor, the governor elect was also called on to resolve
labour problems such as mass dismissals and wages.
Although
there were only a dozen or so activists at the action they received a special
escort from police with police officers armed with shields and wooden batons
outnumbering the protesters by 10 to 1. (ron/yr)
[Abridged
translation by James Balowski.]
