Rising food, fuel prices drive Indonesian May Day rallies
JAKARTA (AFP) — Thousands of Indonesians took to the streets of the capital Jakarta for Labour Day rallies on Thursday, with rising food prices and an expected cut in fuel subsidies weighing heavily on workers' minds.
Police said about 10,000 people gathered in the city centre and at the presidential palace.
Carrying banners reading "Lower Food Prices Now" and "More Pay for Workers and Farmers," many of the demonstrators said they were alarmed at soaring inflation and the prospect of sharply higher fuel bills.
"If they keep increasing the price of food, maybe we'll have to eat less," factory worker Lia said.
"The price of formula milk for the baby has gone up. It's now 36,000 rupiah (nearly four dollars) for a can of 600 grams and the baby drinks it up in two days," she said.
Tarjiman, who was marching with a group of garment factory workers, said people would go hungry if inflation was not brought under control.
"I feel it very hard with the increasing prices. We have to borrow money before the end of the month and try to work extra odd jobs.
"If the price keeps going up, we'll be hungry."
High food prices -- particularly rice, cooking oil and soybeans -- helped drive Indonesia's annual inflation rate to 8.17 percent in March, the biggest increase since October 2006.
Prices are expected to keep rising, with the government considering hiking subsidised fuel prices in June by almost 30 percent to minimise the impact of record oil prices on the national budget.
Many workers were also concerned that their rights were being eroded through companies' growing use of contract labourers hired from employment agents.
Some 10,000 security personnel were deployed to control the rallies in Jakarta and a police helicopter flew low over the crowd in the central business district throughout the morning.
State news agency Antara reported that police in Surabaya, the country's second largest city, prevented a group of at least 2,000 people from rallying in front of the governor's office.
