Suherdjoko, Semarang, Central Java – Thousands of workers staged a rally in front the Central Java Gubernatorial Office in Semarang on Thursday, demanding the administration regulate the minimum wage to be consistent with the latest cost of living.

Waving posters, the workers came from areas across the province travelling on trucks and other vehicles.

Fajar Utomo, a coordinator of the rally, told The Jakarta Post that of all 35 regencies and municipalities in Central Java, only three has regulated the minimum wage in accordance with the current living costs as stipulated in a survey.

Fajar said they demanded the City Minimum Wage (UMK) in 2010 to be set at Rp 944,528 (around US$100), the appropriate living cost according to the survey.

The administration had previously set the 2010 at Rp 893,000, before it was revised to Rp 940,000 following demands from workers. Fajar, however, said the workers would not be satisfied unless the administration set the UMK to meet living costs.