article: The demonstrators seem oblivious to the searing heat, despite the fact they are dressed in heavy black jackets - a uniform given to them by their union leaders. The atmosphere is almost festive at times - a traditional workers' song blares from speakers, and a few dozen members of the crowd start singing and dancing. Protests such as these with workers demanding a higher minimum wage are now a regular occurrence in big cities in Indonesia, taking place on an almost weekly basis. As the economy has grown, workers, , worried they are getting left behind, want a bigger piece of the pie. Said Iqbal, the head of Indonesia's confederation of trade unions and the man behind many of the protests, has become a hero of sorts for Indonesia's workers. Labelled aggressive and uncompromising by industry bosses, he has helped to secure a 40% jump in the minimum wage in some parts of Indonesia - mainly through a combination of organising massive protests and threatening to shut down factories. But despite this, he wants to keep on fighting. "What I don't understand is how an Indonesian worker can work for decades and still be poor, while the rich keep getting richer," he says. "We won't stop protesting until there's justice and prosperity for everybody." But Indonesian bosses say union leaders like Mr Iqbal are being unrealistic. They complain the economy has started to slow down, Indonesia's reputation has been damaged abroad because of worker protests, and higher wages would see them losing out to other manufacturing rivals. "The problem is we are competing not just against ourselves - Indonesian companies - we are competing with Vietnam, China, and the new emerging markets like Cambodia - and soon even Burma will open up and compete with us," Mr Harijanto, the chairman of the Footwear Association in the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, tells me. He says the government's decision to increase the minimum wage by 40% this year, could set a dangerous precedent and mean workers expect significant wage increases every year. 2011: 1.27 million Indonesian rupiah 2012: 1.68 million Indonesian rupiah 2013: 2.2 million Indonesian rupiah Source: KADIN, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce According to him, the inconsistency in government policy and the higher costs could see some companies go out of business. "Everybody loses in this situation - the employers, the businesses, the government and the workers," he says. "If we shut down, then no-one has jobs. But we can't keep operating with these higher salaries because we are uncompetitive in comparison to other nations." Mr Harijanto says 900,000 jobs will be lost in labour-intensive industries within the next year if the salary raises continue at the pace they have been going, and warns millions more could be affected in years to come. The minimum wage in Indonesia varies from province to province, and depends on the standard of living in each area. For example, in Jakarta, the minimum wage is now 2.2 million Indonesian rupiah a month ($226; Â£150) but in West Java it is only 1.25 million rupiah, up from 850,000
summary: Hundreds of factory workers have gathered in front of the Indonesian Supreme Court building in central Jakarta, their arms raised in anger.