Workers in Indonesia demand increase to minimum wage

Earlier this month, tens of thousands of workers demonstrated throughout Indonesia to fight for an increase to the minimum wage of up to 50%, against the government’s offer of 20%. Workers do not want to return to the days when their role in the global economy was as a supplier of cheap labour. Workers and unions want to increase workers purchasing power and are also calling for the immediate implementation of a national health insurance scheme. Indonesian workers have won improvements in the last couple of years through taking industrial action as a class.

Earlier this month, tens of thousands of workers demonstrated throughout Indonesia to fight for an increase to the minimum wage of up to 50%, against the government’s offer of 20%. Workers do not want to return to the days when their role in the global economy was as a supplier of cheap labour. Workers and unions want to increase workers purchasing power and are also calling for the immediate implementation of a national health insurance scheme. Indonesian workers have won improvements in the last couple of years through taking industrial action as a class.