LABOUR DAY: FROM FORBIDDEN TO CELEBRATED

Ms. Maria Damanik (Part1)

May Day – the popular name for Labour day – is celebrated on May 1 every year and become a public holiday in most countries. The date was chosen to commemorate the achievement of the labour movement back on the 19^th century. The movement was held to fight for 8-hours per day in the US.

It was a long story. Before the actions, the industrial revolution caused thousands of men, women, and children lose their lives from bad working conditions and long working hours. Those who were protesting were arrested and put on trials, thus creating waves of rebellions. Finally, the efforts and fights of the workers, many governments and business owners understand the rights and obligations of workers.

In Indonesia, the celebration of Labour Day was celebrated in Soekarno era, the first president of Indonesia. It was then forbidden and considered illegal for years in the ruling years of the second president, Soeharto, starting from 1967. The Labour Day was back in celebration on the year of 2014, on the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.[1]

For years, huge crowd of workers march to the Presidential Palace and hold an action in the framework of Labour Day to convey their demands for the welfare of the workers. The main issues brought in the oration are usually the minimum wages and conditions of work. This usually is an issue of concern for investors, who relocated their plants to South Asian countries to seek for lower costs, especially lower wages.

On the other hands, workers may feel ignored and undervalued, mainly when they had devoted their time and efforts in physically and mentally demanding job. The more educated ones would point out their performance and contribution to the company they’re working at and to the country. They learned their rights and try to secure a better life for themselves and their families.