Prabowo Ratifies ILO Convention on Fishermen Protection
President Prabowo Subianto has ratified International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 188, which regulates the protection of workers in the fisheries sector. Prabowo announced the step during a speech at the International Labour Day celebrations at the National Monument area in Jakarta on Friday, 1 May 2026.
In his address to union members, Prabowo stated that he had just signed Presidential Regulation No. 25 of 2026 on the Ratification of International Labour Organization Convention No. 188. “One more gift for the workers,” he said.
According to the General Chairman of the Gerindra Party, Presidential Regulation No. 25 of 2026 will serve as an instrument to improve the fate of ship workers. “To ensure protection and welfare for fishing vessel crew,” Prabowo stated.
In addition to ratifying the ILO convention, Prabowo also announced that the government will inaugurate 1,386 fishing villages in 2026. That number will be added to with 1,500 new fishing villages each year during the first period of his administration.
Prabowo claimed that for the first time in Indonesia’s history, the state is addressing fishermen’s needs. “All of them, roughly six million fishermen, will have their lives improved along with their children and wives—over 20 million Indonesians will have better lives. Their lives will be prosperous,” he said.
One of the facilities in the fishing villages that he highlighted is refrigerators or cold storage for storing seafood products. “So far, they have struggled, going to sea without ice; now we will build ice factories in every fishing village. We will also help provide boats for them,” said the former defence minister.
This year, the International Labour Day commemoration in Jakarta was split into two locations. Both were in the Monas area, Central Jakarta, and in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building, Central Jakarta.
The All-Indonesian Confederation of Workers’ Unions together with the Labour Party held May Day at Monas. However, their event was not a demonstration. The May Day at Monas was conducted as a celebration featuring President Prabowo Subianto.
Several labour union organisations chose not to join the 2026 May Day celebration at Monas with the authorities. Those who refused were united in the Alliance of the People’s Labour Movement or Gebrak.
This alliance consists of the Confederation of the Congress of Indonesian Labour Union Alliances (KASBI), the Indonesian Workers’ Struggle Federation (FPBI), the Federation of Food and Beverage Workers’ Unions (FSBMM), as well as organisations from various societal elements. They demonstrated to voice demands in front of the DPR building in Jakarta during the Labour Day commemoration on Friday afternoon, 1 May 2026.
KASBI Confederation Chairman Sunarno said there would be around 10,000 people protesting in front of the parliamentary building. “We are carrying the theme May Day with the People,” he said when contacted on Thursday, 30 April 2026.
Sunarno stated that the action organised by his group differed from the one held by KSPSI at Monas. He described the Labour Day commemoration in front of the DPR building as an independent and autonomous action. “The May Day celebration organised at Monas, in our view, is laden with mainstream narratives and co-optation by those in power,” he said.