Posted on 10/30/2013 7:56:15 PM PDT by TexGrill
Workers across Indonesia begin a two-day strike Thursday to demand higher salaries, the latest industrial action in Southeast Asia's top 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 that 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 AFP.
"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."
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 percent and diesel by 22 percent.
They are demanding "just a decent pay raise to compensate for inflation", said Iqbal, adding: "We labourers have contributed so much to the economy, why are we trampled upon?".
Unions said employees from industries ranging from textiles to mining in around 20 of the country's 34 provinces will participate in the action.
(Excerpt) Read more at bangkokpost.com ...
I have not noticed any difference.
I work with a Chinese-American originally from China and he asked me why we never have general strikes here. I don’t have a good answer for this.
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