The Indonesian Trade Union Confederation and the Indonesian Labor Party drew thousands of workers to the streets of big cities on Tuesday, demanding that the government reverse the increase on subsidized fuel prices, media reported
BANGKOK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2022) The Indonesian Trade Union Confederation and the Indonesian Labor Party drew thousands of workers to the streets of big cities on Tuesday, demanding that the government reverse the increase on subsidized fuel prices, media reported.
On Saturday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced that the price cap on subsidized fuel will be increased by some 30%, because the country already used more than planned on energy subsidies amid rising global energy prices.
"We demand a reversal from the decision to raise fuel price cap. Workers are not ready to support such a decision of the government, and they will hold protest rallies against this decision not only today," Said Iqbal, the leader of the Labor Party, was quoted by Tempo news portal as saying, adding that there would also be a national strike in November or December.
According to Tempo, 1,500 people wearing red or orange bandannas participated in protests in Jakarta, as demonstrators marched through the city streets to the buildings of the People's Representative Council, with protests taking place in 20 major Indonesia's cities.
The subsidized fuel price is a sensitive issue in Indonesia. The government has subsidized fuel prices in Indonesia for a few decades, and occasional price hikes have often caused public unrest. In 1998, such protests led to the ouster of longtime ruler Suharto.
