Indonesia: Workers, activists mark May Day with rallies hinh anh 1Thousands of workers join the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions at a rally on May Day. (Photo: AP)

Jakarta (VNA) – Thousands of workers joined the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) at a rally near the presidential palace in Jakarta on the International Labour Day or May Day (May 1) to call on the Government to give more job opportunities to domestic labourers.

Most of the workers came from cities in the vicinity like Bandung, Jabodetabek, Serang and Karawang.

They also extended their grievances about low wages and called for the revocation of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No.20/2018 on foreign workers. Chinese labourers now account for a large amount in the country.

KSPI’s march was also organised in 25 provinces with 200 districts across the nation to raise objections to foreign workers in the nation.

Participants in the rally said that Indonesia is taking charge of more than 7 million unemployed workers. Local labourers are paid with a maximum wage of 4 million rupiah while the amount for foreigners is 10 million rupiah per month.

Earlier, Minister of Manpower Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri stressed that the Regulation aims to simplify procedures for the recruitment of foreign workers.

As of the end of 2017, there were nearly 86,000 foreign workers in Indonesia. The figures in 2015 and 2016 were 77,000 and 80,000.

Along with the Presidential Regulation, the activists also asked for the removal of Government Regulation (PP) No.78/2015 on wages, which they deemed as unfair to workers.

They also urged the Government to fight corruption while working to increase subsidy for the citizens, particularly in health care, energy, housing, transport improvement and agriculture renovation.-VNA 
VNA