TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto has pledged to provide daycare facilities in industrial zones for workers’ children, saying the government will move to ensure childcare support for employed parents.
Prabowo made the statement during a speech before thousands of workers at the National Monument (Monas) area in Jakarta on Friday, May 1, 2026, during the International Workers’ Day or May Day commemoration.
He said the proposal for state-provided daycare had been raised as a key concern for workers.
The chair of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) described childcare facilities as an essential need for working families.
“It was suggested that workers need childcare facilities, daycare. This is a good suggestion. This will be our struggle,” Prabowo said from the podium.
Prabowo also added that the government would work to implement the plan as soon as possible.
“This is a good suggestion, this will be our struggle, and it will be implemented as soon as possible,” he said.
The idea of providing daycare for workers was raised during the 2026 May Day event at Monas by the president of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation, Ilhamsyah, who spoke about the daily challenges faced by working parents.
He said many workers struggle to secure childcare while on the job. “We hope the state will establish daycare facilities in industrial areas and workers’ residential areas, so that workers’ children can live properly and grow well,” Ilhamsyah said.
This year, labor unions and federations across Indonesia marked May Day on Friday, May 1, 2026. In Jakarta, commemorations were split between two main locations: the Monas area in Central Jakarta and the House of Representatives (DPR) complex.
The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions together with the Labor Party held a gathering at Monas, which took the form of a celebratory event attended by President Prabowo Subianto rather than a protest rally.
However, several labor organizations refused to join the Monas event with the government. They are part of the Labor Movement Alliance with the People, or Gebrak.
The coalition includes the Confederation of Congress Alliance of Indonesian Trade Unions (KASBI), the Federation of Indonesian Labor Struggle (FPBI), the Federation of Food and Beverage Workers Union (FSBMM), and other civil society groups. They staged a separate demonstration in front of the DPR building in Jakarta during the May Day commemoration on Friday afternoon, May 1, 2026.
KASBI Chair Sunarno said around 10,000 people were expected to join the rally in front of parliament. “We carry the theme of May Day with the People,” he said on April 30, 2026.
He added that the group’s action differed from the Monas event organized with the authorities, which he described as state-aligned.
“In our view, the May Day celebration at Monas is marked by mainstream narratives and the co-optation of state power,” he said.
Andi Adam Faturahman and Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to the writing of this article.
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