Provincial Government: 2,000 Workers to Commemorate May Day This Year in North Sumatra
The North Sumatra Provincial Government (Pemprov Sumut) has stated that around 2,000 workers in North Sumatra will commemorate May Day or International Labour Day this year.
“Around 2,000 people from 77 labour unions will attend the 2026 International Labour Day celebrations,” said the Head of the North Sumatra Manpower Agency (Disnaker), Yuliani Siregar, in Medan on Wednesday.
Her office has centralised this year’s International Labour Day commemoration at the Astaka Sports Hall (GOR), Jalan Williem Iskandar, Deli Serdang Regency.
According to her, the North Sumatra Provincial Government wishes for this year’s May Day celebrations to adopt a dialogue concept to accommodate various worker aspirations in the province peacefully.
“We want May Day 2026 to be more than just a ceremonial activity, but a space for dialogue that truly conveys and seeks solutions to labour issues,” she said.
The North Sumatra Provincial Government will also provide protection for vulnerable workers in the form of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan coverage across 33 regencies/cities during the 1 May 2026 May Day celebrations.
The targets of this programme include workers in the plantation sector such as tappers, harvesters, and others, with funding from palm oil grant funds.
Furthermore, she continued, this BPJS Ketenagakerjaan protection programme will also be extended to vulnerable workers in the Nias Islands using the North Sumatra APBD.
“In determining protection coverage, we coordinate with the North Sumatra Social Agency. We provide protection coverage in the form of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan to 20,000 vulnerable workers,” she stated.
In addition, she added, the North Sumatra Provincial Government is also implementing a strategic programme involving the rehabilitation of the Balai Latihan Kerja (BLK) in Simalungun Regency and Pematangsiantar City.
Through the BLK, she said, it is hoped that free skills training can be provided to improve the competence of North Sumatra’s people, expand access to the job market, and encourage entrepreneurship.
“This May Day celebration will also be accompanied by the opening of services for North Sumatra’s people, such as driving licence and vehicle registration issuance, ID card production, blood donation, health checks, and lucky draws,” Yuliani remarked.