Workers had conducted rallies on Tuesday across the country in places, such as Banten, West Java, Central and East Java, Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau Islands, Lampung, South Sulawesi, Gorontalo and North Sulawesi.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Three cabinet ministers received representatives of labor unions today, who had taken to the street to convey their demands on Tuesday.

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs, Luhut Panjaitan, Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri and Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek received the workers representatives at their office at around 1.30 p.m.

The meeting with workers representatives included the President of the Federation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI), Said Iqbal, and was also attended by Jakarta Police Chief, Inspector General Tito Karnavian, and Jakarta Military Command Chief, Major General Agus Sutomo.

Workers had conducted rallies on Tuesday across the country in places, such as Banten, West Java, Central and East Java, Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau Islands, Lampung, South Sulawesi, Gorontalo and North Sulawesi.

In Jakarta, workers marched from the Bank Indonesia roundabout to the State Palace.

They came from three organizations including KSPI, the Confederation of All Indonesia Worker Unions (KSPSI) headed by Andi Gani and the Confederation of All Indonesia Labor Unions (KSBSI) led by Mudhofir.

The workers conveyed 10 demands to the government, including a reduction in the prices of basic necessities and fuel oils.

They also asked that layoffs be reduced despite the current rupiah depreciation and economic slowdown, along with the presence of foreign workers.

The workers also demanded a minimal pay increase of 22 percent in 2016 to maintain their purchasing power and rejected the governments draft pay regulation, based on inflation plus and gross domestic income.

The workers also asked for decent livelihood as the basis of increasing the items used for determining the minimum wage from 60 to 84 and wanted the BPKJS pension insurance scheme to be revised and to equalize that of a civil servant.

Regarding the BPJS health insurance scheme, the workers sought an improvement in services and revocation of the Health Ministers 2015 regulation aimed at cutting hospital tariffs and the use of the INA CBGs system.

The workers rejected the hike in the BPJS health insurance payment and urged the government to step up the budget for recipients of insurance payment aid to Rp30 trillion.

They also demanded the dissolution of the industrial relations tribunal, which they consider a "cemetery" for workers and the revision of Law number 2 of 2004.

In connection with the incident at the workplace at PT Mandom Indonesia they urged the companys board to be sentenced for neglect causing 27 people dead and 31 others threatened to be laid-off.

They also expressed concern over criminalization of activists that had led to many of them being jailed so far.

The workers called on President Joko Widodo to replace manpower minister Hanif Dhakiri because they thought the minister had done nothing so far in case involving workers.

The workers also demanded the eradication of modern slavery through the ratification of the draft Housemaid Protection law.

The KSPI threatened if their demands were not met they would stage a nation-wide demonstration again.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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