Jakarta – A mass action by an alliance of workers that make up the Labour Movement with the People (GEBRAK) issued a number of demands during a May Day 2025 action in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Thursday May 1.
"Today we from the alliance of the Labour Movement with the People or GEBRAK have taken to the streets during the momentum of International Labour Day or May Day 2025. We held a separate action from the trade unions that held a May Day Fiesta at Monas [the National Monument] together with President Prabowo [Subianto]. Because in our opinion at this time the situation or condition of Indonesian workers is in a very bad state", said Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI) Chairperson Unang Sunarno representing GEBRAK in front of the DPR on Thursday.
The protesters voiced various issues that are being experienced by workers such as unilateral and mass layoffs, their rights not been given or not fulfilled and the many workers with wages that are still too low.
Then, Sunarno also highlighted how workers in various industrial sectors are still experiencing oppression, workers' rights are still violated and moreover they work in a situation of coercion.
"This situation is one that is indeed very difficult for us, when we see workers who live in a position of suffering because our labour system does not yet side with workers", he explained.
The action by the GEBRAK alliance aims to voice these problems so that the government can hear and provide solutions.
The following demands were conveyed at the May Day 2025 action in front of the DPR building:
1. Revoke the Omnibus Law on Job Creation and its derivative regulations
2. End the storm of layoffs and the muzzling of trade unions
3. Apply a decent national wage that is fair and dignified and revoke Government Regulation 51/2023 on wages
4. Reject the contract work system, outsourcing, internship work systems and fake partnership systems for online drivers
5. Protect female workers, stop harassment and violence in the workplace, and immediately ratify International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190
6. Provide affordable and quality day care for children; provide lactation spaces for female workers
7. Guarantee and protect the rights of palm oil plantation workers, and all workers in the agricultural industry, mining workers, as well as medical and health workers
8. Guarantee and protect the rights of migrant workers, fisheries and maritime workers – immediately ratify ILO convention 188
9. The appointment of teachers and honorary workers in government as permanent state employees with a dignified salary
10. Stabilise the price of food and other goods, reject the increase in fuel prices, basic electricity tariffs and toll road fees
11. Stop the repression and criminalisation of people movement activists
12. Reject the fascist and militaristic government: Reject the revised Indonesian Military (TNI) Law and the draft laws on the National Police (Polri) and the Criminal Procedural Code (KUHAP)
13. Return the functions of the TNI and Polri to their professional duty as a tool of defence and state security
14. Realise free and scientific education for all Indonesian children
15. Realise genuine agrarian reform, reject the land bank system
16. Realise ecological justice, maintain environmental sustainability and reject deprivation and evictions on people's lands
17. Build a strong national industry under the control of the people
18. Safeguard genuine democracy, uphold civilian supremacy
(lmy/dal)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "18 Tuntutan Massa Buruh yang Geruduk DPR RI di Aksi May Day 2025".]
