May Day Fiesta Holds, Labor Party Claims 50 Thousand Workers Fill GBK Stadium

Masses of workers packed the GBK Stadium, where the May Day Fiesta was being held, Saturday, May 14. (Photo: VOI/Wardhany Tsa Tsia)

JAKARTA - Labor Party President Said Iqbal claimed that 50 thousand people attended the May Day Fiesta at Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Central Jakarta today, Saturday, May 14. They come from various labor organizations.

"On this occasion we held the May Day Fiesta. (Participants, ed) there are approximately 50 thousand workers," Said said at a press conference.

Said said the mass action came from a number of elements. Among them are farm laborers, fishermen, temporary employees, to online motorcycle taxi drivers or those who are called the working class.

Furthermore, the organizing committee for the May Day Fiesta initially had difficulty finding a place. However, in the end, the GBK Main Stadium became an option after being assisted by several parties, such as the State Secretariat (Setneg) to the police.

However, there are a number of requirements that must be met. One of them is maintaining health protocols because the COVID-19 pandemic is still happening even though the number of cases has decreased.

"Thus half the planned mass of 100 thousand people is approaching 50 thousand people. The GBK capacity is around 76,000 people and we try to keep one empty seat apart, wear masks, and do antigen tests, it's already a booster," said Said Iqbal.

"That's the final agreement to use GBK, (temporarily) JIS, and Istora are no longer used," he added.

As for the May Day Fiesta, 18 demands were voiced. Here are the details:

1. Reject the Omnibus law on the Job Creation Law; 2. Lower prices for basic commodities (cooking oil, meat, flour, eggs, etc.), fuel and gas; 3. Pass the PPRT Bill, reject the revision of the PPP Law, reject the revision of the SP/SB Law; 4. Reject low wages; 5. Remove outsourcing;6. Reject the increase in VAT tax;7. Validate the RPP for the Protection of ABK and Migrant Workers; 8. Refuse to reduce PBI Health Insurance participants; 9. Realize food sovereignty and agrarian reform; 10. Stop criminalizing farmers; 11. Low tuition fees and free 15 years of compulsory education; 12. Appoint teachers and honorary staff to become civil servants; 13. Empowerment of the informal sector;14. Ratification of ILO Conversion No. 190 on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work;15. Ojol drivers are workers, not partners whose work relationships are not clear;16. Carry out the elections on February 14, 2024 in a fair manner and without money politics; 17. Fair redistribution of wealth by adding social security programs (food security, housing, unemployment, education, and clean water); and18. There should be no hungry people in a rich country.