May Day 2026: Workers Urged to Keep Protests Peaceful and Conducive

Jakarta, VIVA - Workers are urged not to engage in anarchic actions during protest demonstrations that could harm the business climate, especially in this May Day 2026 action.

“Business owners must indeed consider workers’ welfare. However, workers, as the most important component in running the production wheel, should not carry out sabotage actions, strikes, or riots that damage the business climate,” said Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu, Surya Vandiantara, on Friday, 1 May 2026.

He stated that the success of the workers’ struggle must be measured by the level of welfare achieved. Not by sabotage actions, strikes, or riotous demonstrations.

“The success of the workers’ struggle cannot be measured by the success of carrying out sabotage or strikes until companies go bankrupt. On the contrary, the success of workers must be measured based on their level of welfare. For example, the struggle to demand the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR) is essentially a struggle to achieve better welfare,” he said.

Workers’ contributions to the Indonesian economy are considered very significant. This is because, without workers, there would be no production activities.

“Workers are the main pillar in building the Indonesian economy. Without workers’ contributions, various production activities to increase economic growth would never be achieved,” he stated.

Moreover, he said, the workers’ struggle has driven various policies that have a broad impact on society, such as the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR), Holiday Allowance (THR), and the Social Security Organising Agency (BPJS) for Health and Employment. According to Surya, workers’ contributions deserve appreciation.

“The workers’ struggle certainly deserves appreciation. For instance, every increase in UMR will affect the economic growth rate, because workers’ income can also be maximally absorbed by the market (domestic consumption),” he said.

Even, continued Surya, the increase in UMR also helps turn the wheels of the national economy. Because, workers’ income is largely spent on UMKM products.

“Workers have proven to spend their income on small-scale UMKM entrepreneurs, so the wheels of the economy can run well,” he explained.