Two rival May Day rallies show a split in the labour movement

On 1 May 2026, International Workers' Day, Indonesia's labour movement gathered in two very different places, showing how divided it has become. Writing for Fulcrum, the analysis describes tens of thousands of workers rallying at the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta with President Prabowo Subianto as guest of honour, while about 10,000 others gathered separately at the parliament building under the banner "May Day with the People," refusing to be drawn close to the government.

The split runs along union lines. Big, establishment unions joined the Monas event with the president, while independent unions, including KASBI, which says it has 100,000 members, led the protest at parliament. Their message was that workers should keep their distance from a government they do not trust to defend them. The gap matters because Indonesian workers have real grievances: by the analysis, at least 80 percent of the workforce earns below the official minimum wage.

The piece contrasts today's fragmented movement with the years from 2010 to 2013, when a more united labour movement won wage increases of 50 to 100 percent. Now, with the cost of living rising and the rupiah weak, workers are angrier but more divided, which weakens their bargaining power just when they need it most.

Why it matters

If you work for a wage, the strength and unity of unions affects whether pay keeps up with rising prices. A movement split between siding with the government and standing apart from it struggles to win gains for workers. Watch whether independent and establishment unions find common cause as the economy tightens, or stay divided.