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Analysis: Prabowo tries to appease workers, not that he needs to
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Laboring in the street: Workers participate in a May Day rally in Jakarta on Tuesday. They demanded a raise in the minimum wage and the abolishment of outsourcing. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto joined a massive Labor Day rally in Jakarta on May 1, making some promises that went down well with the crowd. However, his appearance seemed to blunt their expressing more radical demands as well as criticisms against businesses and the government.
Prabowo is not pro-labor. His big-tent coalition government includes powerful special interest groups like conglomerates and Muslim organizations with representation in his cabinet. Some of these appointments were granted in return for their support in helping him win the 2024 general election.
Meanwhile, the Labor Party failed to win a single seat in the House of Representatives last year, indicating the party’s low appeal among voters as well as its weak political position and bargaining power. Founded in 2021, the party did not back any of the three presidential candidates, so naturally it was bypassed when Prabowo formed his administration.
Still, May 1 presents a once-a-year opportunity for workers to make a show of force in solidarity and unity. The biggest rally is typically held at National Monument (Monas) Square, a stone’s throw from the presidential palace compound in Central Jakarta.
The mood at this year’s rally was festive, with music and entertainment. Prabowo’s appearance was the highlight of the event, and the leaders of several major unions joined him on stage. After delivering his speech, the President stripped down to his undershirt, throwing his “safari” shirt into the crowd.
This was starkly different from another rally held outside the Senayan legislative complex, where skirmishes broke out between protesters and security forces. Their demands were also more radical and included repealing the 2020 Job Creation Law, which they said was a reflection of the government’s pro-business, anti-labor stance. They also called on the administration to stop the current wave of layoffs and for good measure, the protestors threw in a demand for Prabowo to reverse the current trend of the military entering into civilian affairs.
In his speech at Monas, the President conceded to some long-standing labor demands, including the creation of a national labor council to advise the government on improving workers’ welfare and forming a special task force to handle layoffs to ensure the fair compensation and just treatment of workers.
