Manufacturing Workers Take to the Streets, Demanding Abolition of Income Tax and Halt to Layoffs

Hundreds of workers affiliated with the Independent Indonesia Manufacturing Workers’ Union Movement (GSPMII) staged a protest during the International Labour Day or May Day commemoration in the Patung Kuda area, Jakarta, on Thursday (1/5/2026). GSPMII was one of the labour organisations participating in the May Day action in the area, bringing eight demands. Their demands ranged from abolishing income tax, enacting the Labour Law, to stopping layoffs. Their presence reinforces the position of trade unions in advocating for workers’ rights amid the dynamics of the working world. “Enact the Labour Law,” said one of the orators during the 2026 May Day protest commemoration. Observations at the location showed hundreds of workers from GSPMII conducting a long march from Jalan Thamrin, carrying banners and posters of their demands. According to their view, the current regulations are deemed not fully supportive of workers’ interests. Not stopping there, GSPMII also voiced rejection of the outsourcing or contract work system. They consider that mechanism harmful to workers and needs to be abolished to create justice in employment relations.