TENS of thousands of factory workers took to the streets of the Indonesian capital Jakarta today to protest against outsourcing and low wages.

The demonstration was the start of a two-day national protest involving four trade union groups, said Indonesian Trade Union Confederation KSPI secretary-general Muhammad Rusdi.

The workers were presenting seven demands, including renegotiating last month’s minimum-wage deal and scrapping outsourcing in state-owned companies, he said.

The protest follows smaller demonstrations against a government move to raise petrol prices by about 30 per cent last month.

Minimum wages in Jakarta are set to rise 11 per cent next year — far less than unions had campaigned for.

“We can’t accept the decision on minimum provincial wages,” said Mr Rusdi. “It won’t even cover the fuel price rise.”

Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama approved a 2015 monthly minimum wage of £140 last month, while the unions had been seeking at least £155.

Jakarta Wages Council trade union representative Dedi Hartono said that at least five million workers will join rallies during the two-day action, including demonstrations outside the offices of the governor and president.

The unions want to add phone credit, refrigerators and other items to essentials in a basket of goods used to calculate workers’ living costs.

New President Joko Widodo took office after making campaign pledges to scale back fuel subsidies.

But, while the fuel price rise was welcomed by investors, the result in the streets and factories has been public outrage.