May Day....

Every May 1, the workers from around the world commemorate the big event a demonstration of workers in the United States in 1886, which requires the implementation of eight hours of work. These charges related to the current environment, when the workers were forced to work for 12 to 16 hours per day. Large demonstrations that took place since April 1886 was initially supported by about 250 thousand workers.

Within two weeks of protesters swell to around 350 thousand workers. City of Chicago is the heart of the movement, followed by about 90 thousand workers. In New York, the same demonstration was followed by about 10 thousand workers, in Detroit followed by 11 thousand workers. Demonstrations also spread to cities like Louisville and Baltimore demonstration unite white and black workers. Until the date of May 1, 1886, the demonstrations spread from Maine to Texas, and from New Jersey to Alabama, followed by half a million workers in the country.

These developments provoke a reaction that is also great from the business and local government officials at that time. Through Chicago's Commercial Club, spent approximately U.S. $ 2,000 to purchase equipment to deal with machine gun demonstrations. Peaceful demonstration demanding the reduction of working hours and ended with the riot victims. About 180 police blocked the demonstration and ordered to disperse demonstrators.

Monumental events that became the pinnacle of world labor union movement is organizing the International Labor Congress in 1889. Congress is attended by hundreds of delegates from various countries and decided to eight hours of work per day to be the main demands of the workers around the world. In addition, Congress also welcomes the proposed delegation of workers from the United States are calling for a general strike May 1, 1890 to demand the reduction of working hours by making the date of May 1 as Labor Day the World.

Eight hours / day or 40 hours / week (five days) have been determined to be by the ILO international labor standards through the ILO Convention no. 01 in 1919 and the Convention no. 47 in 1935. Especially for the convention no. 47 in 1935, until now, only 14 countries that signed the convention. Enactment of the convention is an international recognition which indirectly represents the fruit of the struggle of the workers in the entire world to get a decent job. Determination of 8 hours per day as one of the main provisions in labor industrial relations is a marker of the end of the forms of forced labor and slavery are hiding behind industrial relations.

The problem in this time, more and more workers are forced to work more than 8 hours per day. This is due to the worsening crisis of imperialism that suppress wages and increase the cost of basic necessities for life.

In Indonesia, the celebration of May Day as a holiday has been officially abolished through the issuance of Law No. 13 of 2003. Indirectly, the victory of the workers in the May 1 movement decline sharply. Increasingly disappearing. Tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars Euros, the price of shoes perched on sports shops in Europe. Written on it the words "Made in Indonesia", meaning produced by labor sweats Indonesia.

But it's expensive price, wage laborers who worked on the product's pathetic. It's no secret, compared to neighboring countries, Indonesia is still lagging wages. Only around 30 thousand dollars per day. Compare this with Malaysia labor of nearly one hundred thousand dollars per day. Indonesia's labor costs are much lower when compared to the wages of workers in Thailand, Vietnam or China.

Who prefers a policy regime for investment purposes has led to lax government welfare citizens. Though the workers are the backbone of the economy. Including, of course, migrant workers, who donated a large foreign exchange. Aspirations of workers who tried to sue instead of welfare officers met with repressive measures.

The Government should pay more attention to the fate of the workers. If the government is serious about tackling corruption, the illegal levies which have been estimated at 30 percent of the cost of production would be diverted to improve the welfare of workers. Government is obliged to repair the system that harms labor outsourcing. The government should also take action against errant employers who mengemplang wages or perform a trick by combining components into a single wage base salary, to be more expensive.

Live load, which has encouraged the workers eventually choose to strike or take to the streets. Warning May 1 Labor Day is a reminder that there are still many problems in our world of employment.

May Day warning in Indonesia May 1, 2012, workers will go down streets demanding justice for the workers, demanding their rights and to abolish the so-called "sucking" the owners of capital to the workers.
The demands of the workers of Indonesia:

• Carry out health insurance for all the people of Indonesia by January 1, 2012,
• Implement formal retirement security for workers by January 1, 2015,
• Elimination of outsourcing is not in accordance with the law,
• The rejection of low wages.

Our workers are appropriately rewarded by being given adequate wages, adequate facilities, for without them the owners of capital will never run a business. Happy day of 2012 workers of the world, May Day!