TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that rallies staged by labors must not create bigger problems.
However, he allowed labors to stage rally as long as they are done in a polite and orderly manner.
"Labors will be in difficulties if the economy worsens. So the rallies should not create bigger problems. Do stage rallies but do them politely and orderly because it is for their own good,” Kalla said on Saturday 6 February 2016.
Kalla also said rallies are common because Indonesia is a democratic country; yet, he said rallies must not break the law or disrupt security.
For the record, President of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers' Union (KSPI) and the Indonesian Metal Workers Federation (FSPMI) Said Iqbal previously said that the labors staged the rally to reject layoffs and low wages and to demand the revocation of the government regulation number 78 of 2015.
Data from the KSPI and FSPMI says that 865 workers at PT Toshiba Consumer Products Indonesia will be laid off, while di 480 workers at PT Panasonic are also likely to have the same fate.
Said also said that many labors are threatened with layoffs because a number of companies no longer extend work contracts of their workers.
ANANDA TERESIA