Labour Party Moves May Day Location from DPR to Monas

The Labour Party and the Indonesian Confederation of Trade Unions (KSPI) have cancelled the May Day 2026 event planned in front of the DPR, MPR, and DPD complexes. The May Day event is now scheduled to take place in the National Monument area, Central Jakarta.

Labour Party President Said Iqbal stated that the location change was decided after meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday, 28 April 2026. The meeting lasted around 120 minutes. “Before 1 May, KSPI and the Labour Party had requested time to meet with the President, and this request was granted,” Said said in a written statement on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.

He continued that during the meeting, the Labour Party conveyed 11 labour issues or hopes, one of which was that May Day celebrations should not merely be ceremonial.

Because, he said, May Day is a momentum to directly convey workers’ aspirations and demands to policymakers. “Of the 11 issues we presented, several received immediate responses and affirmations from the President,” Said stated.

Later, he said, the Labour Party and KSPI will mobilise around 50,000 participants to the Monas area. The estimated total number of participants from the Labour Party, KSPI, and other trade unions is 100,000 people.

In addition to Monas, he mentioned that KSPI will also hold May Day celebrations simultaneously in 38 provinces across Indonesia. Therefore, labour elements are urged to celebrate May Day with full enthusiasm, peacefully, anti-violence, and non-anarchic. “Also respect the interests of other communities,” Said said.

The 11 labour issues or hopes presented by the Labour Party and KSPI to the Head of State include: Ratification of the Employment Bill; HOSTUM (Abolish Outsourcing Reject Low Wages); threats of layoffs due to war.

Then, tax reform including an increase in PTKP and the abolition of taxes on THR, JHT, and pensions; ratification of the Asset Confiscation Bill; saving the textile and textile products (TPT) industry as well as the nickel industry.

Furthermore, a moratorium on the cement industry due to oversupply; ratification of ILO Convention 90; the struggle for a 10% ojol tariff; revision of Law Number 2 of 2024; and the appointment of part-time PPPK honorary teachers and staff to full-time positions.

According to Said, in the meeting, Prabowo stated that most labour issues are still in process. For example, the Employment Bill, which is claimed to have progressed through the formation of a Working Committee (Panja) in the DPR.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, is said to have conveyed that the discussion is not being held in the Legislation Body (Baleg), but in the Panja, with a target completion before October 2026 in accordance with Constitutional Court Decision Number 168.

In the field of tax reform, the government will re-examine the tax structure and calculations. Said mentioned that the chances of abolishing taxes demanded by workers, such as THR tax and severance pay, greatly depend on the achievement of national economic growth.

Regarding the protection of the TPT, nickel, and cement industries, he said, the President expressed confidence that there will be no industry closures, especially since the government is preparing the role of Danantara to maintain the continuity of those industries.