May Day in Surabaya Divided: Kasbi and Students Choose Protest at East Java DPRD
May Day protests in Surabaya, East Java, were divided on Friday (1/5). The crowds concentrated between the East Java Governor’s Office on Jalan Pahlawan in Surabaya and the East Java DPRD Building on Jalan Indrapura in Surabaya.
Based on observations, the Indonesian Metal Workers’ Federation (FSPMI) East Java, along with the large alliance of the Workers’ Union Movement (GESPER) East Java, chose to protest at the Governor’s Office.
Meanwhile, crowds from the Indonesian Congress of Labour Confederation (KASBI) East Java, the Student Executive Board of Airlangga University, the All-Indonesian Student Executive Board in East Java, and other civil society groups held demonstrations at the East Java DPRD Building.
Observations by CNNIndonesia.com showed around a thousand combined masses from Kasbi and students protesting in front of the East Java DPRD. They unfurled protest posters and banners, gave speeches, and sang songs. Interestingly, some also played football and spinning tops or Beyblade on the streets.
As a result, Jalan Indrapura was completely closed off. Vehicle traffic was diverted to other routes.
Meanwhile, barbed wire fences had been installed in front of the gate of the East Java DPRD Building.
Antoni Matondang, a representative of the Kasbi East Java Coordinator, stated that in their action, they demanded that the government immediately enact a new Labour Law to replace the Job Creation Law or Omnibus Law, which they deemed legally flawed.
He also emphasised that the protest at the East Java DPRD was an effort to urge the regional parliament to recommend accelerating the revision of labour regulations to the national level.
This is because the two-year deadline given by the Constitutional Court (MK) for revisions or separation of the Labour Bill from the Job Creation Law is approaching its end in 2026.
“We are focused on voicing that to this day, the Labour Bill has not been enacted. The Labour Bill in line with the MK’s decision should have been within two years. 2026 is the deadline. So, we are pushing at the regional level to voice at the East Java DPRD, commemorating May Day, for the East Java DPRD and the East Java Provincial Government to recommend that this Bill be enacted as a law immediately,” said Antoni during the protest.
In addition to national issues, Antoni also highlighted the chaos in labour law enforcement in East Java.
His side assessed that the East Java Manpower and Transmigration Office (Disnakertrans) Jatim was ineffective in supervising the rampant unilateral layoffs that hide behind company efficiency reasons.
“So far, layoffs have been rampant. Why are they rampant? Because when there is union busting, layoffs due to efficiency, there is no law enforcement in the East Java Provincial Office. Especially supervision. In East Java Province, to this day, law enforcement does not follow SOP,” he said.
“The SOP requires that within three months there should be a decision on the normative violation examination note, but even after three months or even a year, there is no action against the violating employers. That’s why arbitrary layoffs still occur in East Java,” he added.
Regarding the reason the masses chose to hold a separate action from the celebrations organised by other labour elements at the Governor’s Office, Antoni explained that for them, 1 May is a moment to commemorate the struggle, not a joyous celebration amid the still oppressed conditions of workers.
“We deliberately did not follow the wishes of the East Java Provincial Government or the government’s desire to celebrate. Even though in reality we are not celebrating, we are commemorating. Why? Because the current labour conditions are still dire, still ironic with arbitrary layoffs, especially outsourcing,” he said.
This action was also attended by students from various campuses such as Unair, Unesa, and groups from BEM SI Jatim.
M Rizqi Senja Virawan, President of BEM Unair, stated that in addition to supporting labour issues, students also brought specific demands related to free education and rejection of the central government’s discourse on closing study programmes deemed irrelevant.
“We affirm the demands from our labour friends; we also bring our own demands. For example, we are now also voicing to realise free education. Then recently, Unair friends agreed to reject the discourse from the Ministry of Education and Culture to close some programmes that are said to be irrelevant,” said Rizqi.
Until 4:30 PM WIB, the masses were still holding out. They were met by several East Java DPRD members. However, the dialogue audience that took place amid the crowd of masses was still progressing slowly.
The following are the demands of the Kasbi Jatim and student masses:
Revoke the Omnibus Law Job Creation and enact a pro-worker Labour Law;
Eliminate contract work systems, outsourcing, and partnerships;
Stop mass layoffs and guarantee job certainty;
Realise a national decent wage system based on living needs;
Enact the Domestic Workers Protection Bill (PPRT);
Stop criminalisation and repression against the labour and people’s movement;
Derivative demands:
Realise universal social security for all people, Eliminate violence and discrimination against female workers, Realise free and quality education and health, Improve the welfare of educators and health workers;
Implement stimulus for workers: social assistance, wage subsidies, increase the non-taxable income threshold/personal tax from 4.5 million/month to 15 million/month;
Carry out true agrarian reform, Stop land grabbing and exploitation of natural resources;
Enforce civil supremacy and stop militarism, Protect civil liberties and human rights, Free all political prisoners during people’s actions;
Cancel the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade ART and exit the US-formed Board of Peace - BOP;
Promote world peace and stop the War!
Urge East Java DPRD and East Java Provincial Government to recommend the Labour Bill be enacted as law this year, and exit BOP immediately;
The East Java Provincial Manpower Office supervision sector must carry out its main duty of normative enforcement U.