Dozens of people gathered in front of the Bali Governor’s Office in Renon, Denpasar on Monday morning, as is the norm, for International Workers’ Day.
“Stop layoffs! Raise workers’ wages!” people could be heard shouting.
The demo was in full swing by 9:30 am and was attended by several organizations and unions, like the Independent Employers Union Federation (FSPM Bali), Legal Aid Society (YLBHI-LBH Bali), Laundry Association Bali (LAB), National Student Front (FMN), and National Front for Indonesian Labor Struggle (FNPBI), which all gathered in cooperation under the United Bali Workers Alliance, according to Tribun Bali.
Agus Sumadi, 39, one of the participants in today’s activities, says he hopes the demo will remind the government to care more about the welfare of workers in Bali.
“In the future, I hope the rights of workers are paid more attention,” Sumadi, who works as an employee for Nusa Dua Beach Hotel, told reporters.
Indonesia didn’t put Labor Day on the public holiday calendar until 2014.
While it was a nice gesture, adding the tanggal merah doesn’t actually do anything to improve the welfare of Indonesian workers and the government has not done enough to protect workers’ rights, according to the unions and workers’ rights advocates.
“This is the government’s attempt to silence us, but we will never forget that we have to fight for decent wages,” Imam Munawir, who sits on the Board of Trustees for the Bali Labor Advocacy Institute, said in Renon at the demo on Monday.
In his speech, he also took the opportunity to criticize policies by President Joko Widodo, which have enabled increased foreign investment—something that’s been to the detriment of local workers and their labor wages, says Munawir.
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