Presidential Palace Praises Workers for Peaceful Rallies

Jakarta (Antara) - The Presidential Palace praised workers and labor unions for staging peaceful rallies marking International Workers' Day or May Day on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam said. "Likewise the government also praises the police for their success in ensuring orderly and peaceful rallies," Dipo said here on Wednesday. The rallies which were previously feared to turn anarchic ran peacefully thanks to the meeting of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono, chief ministers, ministers and leaders of labor unions at the Presidential Palace earlier, he said. At the meeting President Yudhoyono declared May 1 as a national holiday. Thousands of workers staged rallies here on Wednesday, demanding that the government provide health care coverage for all Indonesians by January 2014, among others. (*)