Indonesia: Thousands of workers protest in Jakarta as economy falters

Thousands of workers took to the streets of Jakarta, Tuesday, to demand higher wages and increased job security. Indonesia's growth rate declined to a six-year low in 2015, and trade unions have called for increased government investment to halt the trend and boost the spending power of workers. Around 50,000 protesters were expected to march in the demonstration which was organised by a number of trade unions in the country. Police deployed more than 8,000 personnel to ensure the protests remained peaceful. The protesters gathered at the National Monument before marching through the streets of the capital city to the Presidential Palace where President Joko Widodo was holding a meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde. Protesters issued a number of demands to the government, including increased job security, disallowing foreign workers and lowering the price of basic goods. The Widodo government is expected to announce a stimulus package in the near future to combat the economic downturn.