KSPI Threatens Nation Wide Strike In November

Jakarta, Oct 3 (Antara) - Presidents of the Confederation of Indonesian Labor Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal said it would stage a nation wide strike in early November if the government did not bow to their demand. On Thursday, around 50,000 workers took to the street demanding pay hike, abolition of outsourcing system of labor recruitment and free medical treatment. The workers also demanded cancellation of plan to raise the prices of subsidized oil fuels by the new government of President elect Joko Widodo. The administration of Joko Widodo, who is to be installed on Oct 20, was reported planning to raise the price of BBM to reduce subsidy. "If the demands were not met there will be nation wide strike by the end of October or early November," Iqbal said in a statement on Friday. He said KSPI demanded the government of out going President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or President elect Joko Widodo to be serious in addressing the welfare of workers and the people. He said Indonesian workers are still facing various problems including problem related to their welfare. The workers also asked the government to terminate the operation license of US mining giant Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold which has large copper and gold mines in Papua. They also for the arrest of the entire members of the board of directors of the company for "negligence that resulted in the death of a number of mining workers. The workers moved from Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to the state palace, and proceeded later to the city governor`s office and other state agencies. At the same time tens of thousands of other workers staged similar actions rallying in fronts of governor offices in 15 other provinces including Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Batam, Aceh, North Sumatra , Lampung, West Kalimantan , Gorontalo, North Sulawesi and South Sulawesi.