Indonesian workers stage nationwide strike over pay
Workers seeking a greater share of the benefits of Indonesia's booming economy began strike action on Thursday
Workers across Indonesia begin a two-day strike on Thursday to demand higher salaries, the latest industrial action in the Southeast Asian economy as people push for a greater share of the profits from stellar growth.
Calls have been growing in recent months for a hike in the minimum wage as the cost of living skyrockets due to high inflation.
Unions estimate almost three million workers will take part in the action, although the numbers have come in lower than such forecasts in previous nationwide strikes.
“Living costs are going up,” Said Iqbal, chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI), told reporters.
“Many workers who could not afford their rents have had to move out of their homes and live under bridges and in sewers. They are eating instant noodles instead of rice.”
“We labourers have contributed so much to the economy, why are we trampled upon?”
Workers say they have been particularly hard-hit by a rise in the price of subsidised fuel in June, with petrol going up by 44 per cent and diesel by 22 per cent.
