TEMPO.CO, Purwakarta - About 50 journalists from three journalist associations commemorated the International Labor Day by staging a rally in front of the West Java Provincial Administration building, or locally known as Gedung Sate, in Bandung on Sunday, May 1, 2016.

The journalists from the Independent Journalist Alliance, the Indonesian Photo Journalists (PFI), and the Bandung Photo Journalists demanded better welfare for journalists.

PFI member Fauzan Abdul Syukur during his oration said that the media industry development was not in line with journalists’ welfare improvement. Fauzan added that the number of journalist laid off in the period of 2015-2016 had increased.

In addition to demanding better salaries, contractor journalists questioned about the absence of social securities from media companies.

“In addition to salaries below the minimum wage, journalists have no social securities,” Fauzan said on Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Bandung.

The commemoration of the International Labor Day, or commonly known as May Day, was held to raise public’s awareness on media, and central and regional governments would actively audit the media industry. The Bandung Journalists Solidarity also called on media workers to form labor unions.

In addition to journalists, other labor organizations staged rallies in Bandung. Guarded by dozens of police personnel, the rallies started at around 9 a.m. The traffic remained normal until about 10 a.m.

ANWAR SISWADI | NANANG SUTISNA