Megawati's Message Ahead of May Day: Workers' Welfare is an Absolute Prerequisite for Achieving Social Justice
Jakarta - PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri has asserted that workers’ welfare is an absolute prerequisite for achieving social justice for all Indonesian people.
The fifth President of Indonesia also urged all parties to interpret the struggles of the working class not only from an economic perspective but also through historical, ideological, and cultural lenses.
“Referring to Bung Karno’s thoughts on the Marhaen class, the struggle to enhance the welfare of farmers, workers, and fishermen is an absolute prerequisite for achieving social justice for all Indonesian people for the advancement of Great Indonesia,” Megawati stated, quoted from a press release on Monday (27/4/2026).
One of the activities was a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) titled “New Employment Bill and Bill on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) from the Workers’ Perspective” at the Party School in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta.
The event was attended by Labour Minister Yassierli, PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto, several members of the Indonesian House of Representatives, academics, and representatives of labour unions.
In the forum, PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto emphasised the importance of the emancipation narrative in the workers’ struggle.
“Poverty among farmers, workers, and fishermen is a real picture of unjust colonialism. Awareness must be built for everyone to fight through political means. The Employment Bill must incorporate those historical and ideological aspects as primary considerations,” Hasto said.
Hasto added that workers also need to enhance their professionalism and productivity, both through self-reliance and state support.
“However, workers must also organise themselves. History teaches that if workers are sovereign and strong, it will become an effective path for policies that favour workers, yet still maintain good industrial relations,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Yassierli emphasised that the government is preparing a new Employment Bill drafted separately from the Job Creation Law.
He explained that the preparation of the regulation is mandated by the Constitutional Court Decision Number 168/PUU-XXI/2023, which provides a maximum of two years to form the new law.
He added that improvements in the bill cover 21 strategic provisions, including the prioritisation of local labour and a limit on the Fixed-Term Employment Agreement (PKWT) period to a maximum of five years, including extensions.
On that occasion, Yassierli also revealed current national labour challenges, including the large number of workers reaching 154 million people.
“Based on August 2025 data, around 55.00 percent of workers are in the vulnerable informal sector, with a national unemployment rate of 4.85 percent,” Yassierli disclosed.
The peak of the PDI-P’s May Day 2026 commemoration will take place on 3 May 2026 at GOR Otista, East Jakarta.
The event is planned to be attended by around 2,000 workers who will present the “Workers’ Struggle Manifesto”.