Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The People`s Coalition for Fishery Justice (Kiara) said May Day was expected to serve as a momentum to improve the welfare of marginalized fishermen.

"The rallies on May Day or International Labor Day will be carried out to ensure that the constraints and problems being faced by fishermen will be overcome," Kiara Program Coordinator Abdul Halim said here on Friday.

He said that the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry needed to prioritize a number of programs such as the settlement of the high rate of poverty among fishermen and the potential risks they were facing when they were going fishing. They needed insurance.

Other matters that needed to be given priorities included security regarding extreme weather threats, earthquakes and tsunami.

After all, most of them or about 90 percent are traditional fishermen who earn an average income of about 40 thousands rupiah per day.

Earlier, Manpower Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said the observance of May Day should be carried out peacefully and orderly.

"Basically, the government welcome and supports the observance of the May Day. I congratulate all workers who celebrate the international labor solidarity day," he said.
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Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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