Surabaya – Hundreds of workers from Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan, Mojokerto and Kediri staged a rally Thursday against 10 companies in East Java that recently sacked thousands of workers.

The protesters claimed the East Java administration failed to stop the mass layoffs, which saw 1,500 employees lose their jobs.

Jamaluddin, the protest leader, said the workers were laid off without proper compensation. "We cannot receive our Idul Fitri bonuses because the companies fired us before the holiday. This obviously hurts us greatly," one of the protesters said.