The Struggle is Not Over: Marsinah and Munir "Present" at Labour Protest in Parliament

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The faces of Marsinah and Munir Said Thalib became symbols during the action commemorating International Labour Day (May Day) 2026 in front of the DPR RI Building, Friday (1/5/2026). Amid the crowd of workers filling the area, a large poster featuring Marsinah stood out with the words “Working Class Heroes”. Not only Marsinah, but Munir’s face also appeared in various protest attributes and was frequently mentioned in speeches from the command vehicle. In addition, various posters and banners containing messages of struggle adorned the fences and pillars of the parliamentary building. Slogans such as “Stop the Layoff Storm” and “Long Live Women Workers” reinforced the message that the workers’ struggle is still ongoing. The action, coordinated by the Aliansi Gerakan Buruh Bersama Rakyat (GEBRAK), not only highlighted classic demands such as decent wages but also contemporary issues, including job certainty for online motorcycle taxi drivers and the abolition of the outsourcing system. Several action participants assessed the presence of Marsinah and Munir’s faces as not merely visual symbols, but as reminders of history as well as sources of inspiration for today’s workers. “Marsinah is a symbol of workers’ resistance, especially women. Her struggle is not yet over,” said Haya (29), one of the action participants. Other participants also emphasised that figures like Marsinah and Munir show that fighting for rights requires great courage. With the presence of both figures in the 2026 May Day action, the workers affirmed that their struggle is not only about welfare but also closely related to broader justice and human rights. The protesting workers in front of the DPR RI building came from various organisations. Among them were the Aliansi Gerakan Buruh Bersama Rakyat (GEBRAK) and the Konfederasi Kongres Aliansi Serikat Buruh Indonesia (KASBI). The General Chairman of the KASBI Confederation, Sunarno, said the action was held because labour conditions were still considered poor. For this reason, they urged the DPR and the government to immediately improve labour policies, especially following the Constitutional Court decision regarding the Job Creation Law. “The DPR is ordered to immediately form a labour law. Therefore, we deliberately came to this DPR Building to urge the DPR to immediately discuss the new Labour Bill involving elements from labour unions,” said Sunarno. He added that the discussion of the labour law is considered very important because it relates to workers’ normative rights, from wage systems, severance pay, to employment status, and so on.