REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The government’s plan to increase subsidized fuel price faces many public resistance including from labors and students. Five labor unions in Tanjung Priok Harbor, North Jakarta, held a protest on Tuesday at 13.30 in the entrance of Post 9. Only a dozen men attended the protest, but they threatened to hold much bigger demonstration next Tuesday.  

“If the government ignoring us, we will hold walkout to deactivate this port,” the General Secretary of Indonesian Transportation Labor Union, Abdul Rosyid, said. They are afraid, the increasing of fuel price will force the companies to cut their wage due to efficiency.

The Chief of Highway Transportation Labor Union (SPTJR), FN Marbun, said, the act on the next Tuesday would involve harbor’s blockage. Thus, there will be no goods can load or unload in Tanjung Priok Port. The strike would paralyze the export and import activity.

The Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) shares the simliar aspirations. The umbrella organization in Bandung has spread 300 banners to reject the fuel price increasing. Its position is encouraged by smaller unions under the Organda, namely Kobanter, Kopamas, Kobutri, Damri, and taxi.

The Head of Bandung Organda, Neneng Zubaedah, said, the increasing of fuel price affected the price of spare parts. She predicted 30 percent of transportation companies would collapse because they could not renew their facilities. The increasing tariff also encourages people to prefer motorcycle than public transportation.

Student in action

The students in Surabaya, East Java, have conducted two-day demonstration in Grahadi Building. In Cirebon, West Java, the students blocked Pantura lane in Kedawung intersection. The protests led to commotion with clash between the students and police officers.

The increasing of subsidized fuel price in 1.500 IDR per liter escalates the number of poverty to 1.5 until two percent, or in other words there would be 3.5 until five million of newly poor citizens. 

“The number comes from the total of the poor, which is 74 million people or 18.5 million householders,” the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, Agung Laksono, said. 

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