Workers Urged To Commemorate May Day With Joyful Activities

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri has called on workers in the country to commemorate Labor Day on May 1 with joyful activities.

"Do not identify May Day as a day for mere demonstrations or rallies. May Day can also be marked with charity activities, such as a blood donation event, a sports event, taking part in a dialogue or an entertainment event," he said at a press conference on Thursday evening.

Raising the slogan of "Mayday is Holiday" the minister hoped activities to mark the May Day later would remain positive, full of joy and boost solidarity.

He appealed to all workers wishing to conduct rallies to do it in an orderly manner and prevent anarchy.

"We wish to change public perception and the paradigm that stigmatizes May Day in a negative way by identifying it as a day of disorderly demonstration causing traffic jams and anarchism," he said.

May Day this year also falls on Sunday, which is not a working day, and so the minister hoped that people will commemorate the day of solidarity with workers being well because no traffic jam will take happen.

The minister said the government should continue promoting a culture of dialogue and negotiation between workers and employers in the framework of creating harmonious industrial relations in companies.

"Negotiations and social dialogue at companies should increase welfare and settle industrial disputes," he added.

The Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) has stated that it will continue with its plan to stage a long march from the State Palace to the Bung Karno stadium on Sunday.

The Jakarta Metropolitan Police has also appealed to worker unions to not stage the long march because it will happen concurrently with the Car Free Day event that takes place every Sunday along the Thamrin and Sudirman boulevards, from where the long march will pass through. (WDY)