Labor Day is generally celebrated on May 1st, and is known as May Day. This labor day is an annual holiday (in several countries) that begins with the efforts of the trade union movement to celebrate the economic and social success of the workers.
Labor Day was born out of various stages of the working class struggle to gain political-economic-political control of industrial rights. The development of industrial capitalism in the early 19th century marked a drastic economic-political change, especially in the capitalist countries of Western Europe and the United States. The tightening of the discipline and the intensification of working hours, the lack of wages, and the poor working conditions at the factory level, gave rise to resistance from the working class.
The first strike of the working class of the United States occurred in 1806 by Cordwainers workers. The strike brought its organizers to court and also raised the fact that the working class of that era worked from 19 to 20 hours a day. Since then, the struggle to demand reduced working hours is on the agenda with the working class in the United States.
There are two people who are thought to have contributed ideas to honor the workers, Peter McGuire and Matthew Maguire, a machine worker from Paterson, New Jersey. In 1872, McGuire and 100,000 workers went on strike to demand a reduction in working hours. McGuire then went on to talk to the workers and the unemployed, lobbying the city government to provide jobs and overtime. McGuire became popularly known as the "disturbing peace of mind".
In 1881, McGuire moved to St. Louis, Missouri and started to organize the carpenters. Finally a union of carpenters in Chicago was built, with McGuire as General Secretary of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The idea of organizing workers according to their area of expertise then spread throughout the country. McGuire and the workers in other cities are planning holidays for Workers on every First Monday of September between Independence Day and Thanksgiving day.
On September 5, 1882, the first Labor Day parade was held in New York City with 20,000 participants carrying banners reading 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of recreation. Maguire and McGuire play an important role in organizing this parade. In subsequent years, the idea spread and all states celebrated.
In 1887, Oregon became the first state to make it a public holiday. In 1894. Presider Grover Cleveland signed a law that made the first week of September a national official public holiday.
The First International Congress was held in September 1866 in Geneva, Switzerland, attended by various organizational elements of workers worldly. This congress stipulated a claim of reducing working hours to eight hours a day, which previously (still in the same year) had been carried out by the National Labor Union in the US: As these restrictions represent the general demands of the working class of the United States, the congress changed this claim to a common ground working class all over the world.
One May was designated as the day of the world working class struggle at the 1886 Congress by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions for, in addition to providing a moment of eight hours a day demands a new spirit of working class struggle that reached the massive point of the era. May 1 was chosen because in 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, inspired by the success of the Canadian labor movement of 1872 [1], demanded eight hours of work in the United States and came into force on 1 May 1886.
Indonesia in 1920 also began to commemorate Labor Day on May 1 this.
Ibarruri Aidit (the eldest daughter of DN Aidit) as a child and his mother had attended the International Labor Day celebration in the Soviet Union, when he attended the International Labor Day celebration on May 1, 1970 in Tian An Men PRC Square at the commemoration, he also attended Mao Zedong, Prince Sihanouk with his wife Ratu Monique, Cambodian Prime Minister Pennut, Lin Biao (second person of the Chinese Communist Party) and leader of Burmese Communist Party Thaksin B Tan Tein.
But since the reign of the New Order on Labor Day no longer commemorated in Indonesia, and since then, May 1 is no longer a holiday to commemorate the role of labor in society and economy. This is because the labor movement is connected with the communist movement and understanding that since the 1965 G30S incident was taboo in Indonesia.
During Soeharto's rule, action for May Day memorials was categorized as subversive activity, since May Day was always connoted with communist ideology. This connotation is obviously fitting, since the majority of the world's nations (most of whom adhere to non-communist ideologies, even anticommunist ones), set May 1 as Labor Day and make it a national holiday.
After the end of the New Order era, although not a holiday, every May 1 was again celebrated by workers in Indonesia with demonstrations in various cities.
The concern that the mass movement of workers mobilized every May 1st led to riots was never proven. Since May Day commemoration from 1999 to 2006 there has never been a destructive act perpetrated by the mass movement of laborers categorized as "endangering public order". What is happening is even the repressive actions of the security forces against the workers, as they are still guided by the old paradigm which considers May Day's warnings to be subversive and orchestrated by the communist movement.
- 2006
May Day 2006 action occurred in various cities in Indonesia, such as in Jakarta, Lampung, Makassar, Malang, Surabaya, Medan, Denpasar, Bandung, Semarang, Samarinda, Manado, and Batam.
In Jakarta, demonstrations of tens of thousands of workers were concentrated at several points such as the HI Roundabout and the Senayan East Parking, with the main target being the MPR / DPR Building on Jalan Gatot Subroto and the State Palace or the Presidential Palace. In addition, more than 2,000 workers are also in action at the North Jakarta Mayor's Office. Workers who joined in action in Jakarta came from a number of industrial areas in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) incorporated in various unions or labor organizations. They rejected the revision of Law No. 13 of 2003 on Manpower, which harmed many workers.
- 2007
May Day Parade May 2007 in Jakarta
In Jakarta, thousands of workers, students, youth organizations, and communities took to the streets. The various points in Jakarta are filled with protesters, such as Merdeka Palace Area, MPR-DPR-DPD Building, City Hall Building and City Council, DKI Jakarta Depnaker and Disnaker, and Hotel Indonesia Roundabout.
In Yogyakarta, hundreds of students and workers from various elements filled the city of Yogyakarta. Simpang four Yogya Tugu became the starting point of the movement. Workers and students depart from the vertex point of Tugu Yogya to the front of the Yogyakarta Post Office. In Solo, the action starts from the Stage Perempatan followed by walking to Gladag Roundabout for 3 km to hold the oration and then turn to Surakarta City Hall which is located a few hundred meters from Gladag. A similar action was also held by two hundreds of workers in Sukoharjo. The mass of the action came to the Regent's Office and Sukoharjo Parliament's office. In Bandung, the workers took action in Gedung Sate and moved towards West Java Police and the Office of Manpower and Transmigration (Dinaskertrans) West Java. In Serang, the road to Pandeglang, Banten, was paralyzed from 10.00 am. Approximately 10,000 workers who tumplek in front of the Banten Parliament Building blocked Jalan Palima. In Semarang, thousands of workers rallied in waves from 10 am. Taking a start in front of the Baiturrahman Mosque in Simpang Lima area, Pleburan Undip Campus, and Fountain Roundabout on Jalan Pahlawan, then heading for the DPRD of Central Java. About 2,000 workers in the city of Makassar started the action by gathering at the intersection of the Reform Toll. From the place, they then walk to the office of Governor of South Sulawesi Jl Urip Sumoharjo. In the city of Palembang, the action of labor is centered in the field of Monument Perjuangan Rakyat (Monpera). In Sidoarjo, hundreds of workers are taking action in the Parliament Building Sidoarjo, East Java. Thousands of workers in Pekalongan conduct a demonstration around the city of Pekalongan. The action starts from Pekalongan City Pekeran Square, passing through the pantura line at Jalan Hayam Wuruk, and ends at the courtyard of Parliament Building of Pekalongan City. Longmarch is done along about six kilometers. In Medan, about 5 thousand workers came to North Sumatra DPRD and Medan District Court.
- 2008
May Day Parade May 2008 in Jakarta
About 20,000 workers took longmarch action to the State Palace on the commemoration of May Day 2008 in Jakarta. They gathered at 10 am at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout.
Meanwhile 187 Anti-Authoritarian Network activists were intercepted and arrested for repression by South Jakarta Police personnel after a demonstration in front of Wisma Bakrie, when they were about to join the HI roundabout. In Depok, 5 trucks of workers who were going to Jakarta were detained by Depok Police personnel. In Medan, the police prohibited the demonstration on the grounds of the Ascension Isa Almasih festival. Labor action in Yogyakarta was also blocked by the Anti-Communist Indonesia Forum.
This action was carried out by various labor organizations joined by the Workers' Alliance of Labor and the People Struggle Front, followed by various trade unions and other organizations, such as the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Jakarta, Indonesian Women's Labor Union, Independent Trade Alien Union (KASBI), Trade Union Carrefour Indonesia, Jabotabek Workers Union (SBJ), transvestite community, student organs and so on.
- 2009
2009 Labor Day Parade in Jakarta
Dozens of thousands of workers, activists and students from various elements and organizations commemorate the World Day of Labor by taking a longmarch action from Bundaran HI to Istana Negara, Jakarta. This action is incorporated in two umbrella organizations, the People's Struggle Front (FPR) and the Alliance of Workers' Workers (ABM). Thousands of workers joined in ABM, detained and intercepted by hundreds of police officers about 500 meters from the Palace.
- 2010
Coinciding with International Labor Day, thousands of protesters held a rally at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout on Jalan M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. From Bundaran HI, they then moved to the front of the State Palace. They demanded social security for workers. Workers consider the current application of social security to be discriminatory, limited, and profit-oriented.
In front of the Palace, there was a riot that lasted about 15 minutes at 14.00 pm. Police officers secured two protesters for questioning. According to Police Head of Public Relations Division, Inspector General of Police Edward Aritonang, the two demonstrators came from one anti-corruption agency, KAPAK (Anti Corruption Youth Action Committee). After the incident, in general the condition of the rallies went conducive again until the completion of action at 16.00 WIB.
- 2011
Thousands of Indonesian workers celebrate International Labor Day or May Day, Sunday (01/05) at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, Jakarta. They called for the assurance of social security for the workers in Indonesia while shouting struggles like "Labor Day" and "Give Workers Rights," and they marched to the State Palace.
- 2012
Metro Jaya Police Chief, Inspector General of Police DR. Untung S.Rajab, Thursday, May 3, 2012 received a number of union leaders who directly involved the massive rallying action in the capital Jakarta welcomes May Day 2012 or International Labor Day. Workers who meet the Chief of Police, including chairman of the action and field coordinator. Then they together with the Kapolda gave press information.
Bari Silitonga as chairman of the action on the anniversary of the International Labor Day, told reporters that their arrival met with Kapolda Metro Jaya to give a positive appreciation to Polda Metro Jaya and his staff who had guarded the demonstration of workers on Sesala 1 May 2012, so that the action of the workers can run smoothly, orderly and secure, with no interruption until completion.
- 2013
The government will make International Labor Day commemorated every May 1 as a national holiday. According to the plan, it will begin in 2014.