Labor Day (Hari Buruh)

Labor Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, and it holds significant importance for working people in Indonesia. Here it is known as "Hari Buruh" and is dedicated to the rights of workers.

Labor Day began to be observed in many countries at the end of the 19th century in memory of the workers killed during the Haymarket Massacre in the United States on May 4, 1886.

In 1920, Indonesians first celebrated Labor Day to demonstrate their desire to expand workers' rights and increase wages.

At that time, Labor Day was not yet an official holiday. It was unofficially observed until 1967.

In 1967, President Sukarno was ousted from office by Suharto, a conservative military leader. Many historians believe this happened because President Sukarno supported socialist policies.

The new president, Suharto, established the "New Order" regime. Under the new policy in Indonesia, rallies, public demonstrations, and movements for workers' rights were banned. As a result, celebrating Labor Day became impossible.

The Suharto era came to an end in 1998. He was succeeded by former aviation and aerospace engineer Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, politician and religious leader Abdurrahman Wahid, the daughter of the first president Sukarno, Megawati Sukarnoputri, and politician and former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

In 2013, President Yudhoyono decided to make Labor Day an official holiday in Indonesia. On May 1, 2014, this Labor Day was officially celebrated in Indonesia for the first time.

All celebrations for Labor Day in Indonesia are focused on workers' rights and improving the working conditions of Indonesians.

The biggest event of this day is the May Day demonstration. Participants often wear uniforms of professional unions.