Thousands Demonstrate Against Low Wages

Jakarta (Antara) - Thousands of workers in the MM200 industrial area, Bekasi, West Java, staged a demonstration and halted factory production activities on Friday to reject low wages. "We are holding this demonstration to reject low wages and ask the regional government of Bekasi to raise the workers' monthly minimum wage (UMP) to Rp3 million," Muhammand Rusda, the secretary general of the Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPI), said on Friday. He noted that thousands of workers also rejected the government of Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla for raising subsidized fuel oil prices that will affect the people's prosperity. The government on Monday night announced fuel price hikes by raising the prices of subsidized gasoline to Rp8.5 thousand from Rp6.5 thousand per liter and subsidized diesel oil to Rp7.5 thousand from Rp5.5 thousand per liter. President Jokowi had said the diversion of fuel subsidy was necessary to improve the welfare of the people across the country. (*)