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Jakarta protesters say presidential hopeful Jokowi doesn't side with workers

VIVA News - May 1, 2014

Jakarta protesters say presidential hopeful Jokowi doesn't side with workers – Viva News. May 1, 2014
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Desy Afrianti, Stella Maris – In a speech in front of the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta, Sri, the general secretary of the Association of Independent Trade Unions (GSBI) asserted that workers would not support Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo alias Jokowi as the next president of the Republic of Indonesia.

Sri was speaking at a protest action commemorating International Labour Day or May Day on Thursday May 1. "We will not vote for Jokowi, because he doesn't side with workers. We continue to be oppressed", she said. According to Sri, if in the future Jokowi is elected as president, the fate of workers would only be to change from one oppressor to another.

Despite this, Sri acknowledged in her speech that this is not intended to influence other workers to not voting for Jokowi. However, she said, her speech was based on the facts. "The choice is up to each individual. However whoever is chosen right now will influence the next five years", she said.

It is known that Jakarta workers are dissatisfied with a decision by Jokowi setting the 2014 provincial minimum wage (UMP) at 2.4 million rupiah a month. Workers believe this figure is inappropriate and far from what they had hoped, and are continuing to demand that the UMP be raised to 3.7 million rupiah.

Source: http://politik.news.viva.co.id/news/read/501125-demo-di-istana--buruh-tolak-jokowi-jadi-presiden.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service.]

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