Labor’s Day: A May Day Democracy

            Well, today May 1^st, as always, it’s the commemoration of international labor’s day. Every labor in the world celebrates today as a symbol of a very giant labor movement. Here, in Indonesia, esp. Jakarta, the celebration was actually a demonstration by labor from every industrial area nearby. They all marched from their factory to Jakarta. What they want, don’t change but add. As always, they demand the rise of salary and social security, the additional is their refusal upon the raising price of subsidized gasoline. The demonstration was hectic and crowded. The traffic jams were anywhere. This phenomenon simply can be seen as a democracy by labor, strike and demand for their will.

            Marx theory won’t change. The cycle will always stay as it’s: the class conflict will always happen no matter what. Labors always demand for their prosperity to be fulfilled; their boss, the entrepreneur as the owner of capital will always demand the cheap salary to be paid to the labors. It’s what Marx said; this will lead to a conflict between classes, labor vs. the boss, the worker vs. the capital owner. What you saw this afternoon was actually the real picture of a modern conflict between these two classes. The strike, the demonstration are how the labors show what they want from their boss. Though, this can be seen as democracy by the labors, this demonstration is also can be seen as the modern conflict of what Marx says as proletarian vs. bourgeois. As Marx said, this conflict will be a cycle, the labors will try to take down their boss and so will their boss, but in this century, the conflict won’t be a take-down cycle. The cycle will stay as follow, if labors demands aren’t met, they’ll stop working. Well then, this might lead to a total loss for the capital owner, well to manage this, the capital owner will find another place to invest, of course a place where a cheap labor (still) can be found. As Marx said, this cycle will lead to a classless society. This society without class is simply utopia; it’s hard to reach, but the cycle of conflict between these two classes will always happen, since what they’re trying to reach is everything about economy and prosperity, as in economy, “human will never be satisfied”. This also happened in labor, as the price of daily needs is raising, and now the gasoline will rise up, as the economy development is going very well, they demand to be given a high rise also for their salary and social security. These capital owners don’t want to fulfill as whole. So, this cycle won’t stop and will likely be a vicious cycle.

            Well, it’s hard to find the best way to solve. Maybe Max right, the classless society will be reached if this vicious cycle keep rolling for uncountable times. I appreciate this democracy of labor. They’re doing countless effort to demand what the best for them. They’re oppressed in their work, and so are the capital owners, they’re depressed to fulfill and to pay the high rise of their workers. I admit, these things are complicated, even Marx said the only way to find the best solution was revolution, but it’s hard to make a revolution in this democracy age. The median of this problem is hard to find, but the conflict is easy to ignite. Well, maybe (again) Marx right, the democratic ‘revolution’ is the only hope labors still have, by doing demonstration till the capital owners fulfill their demand. Let’s hope they will and willing to do.

Happy Labor’s Day

Pandu Dewa Nata (CF12)

Political Adviser, Military and Intelligence Analyst

MMPSIS, Jakarta, Indonesia