May Day March: "Government deployed uniformed staff to mock workers"
During a march organized by various labor unions to mark International Workers' Day, participants called on the government to review the minimum wage and end workplace intimidation. The demonstrators further urged authorities to ensure teachers' overtime pay remains intact and advocated for the disbursement of service charges in US dollars, emphasizing the urgent need to safeguard fundamental labor rights.
May Day Protest 01.05.2026. | Social Media
Organizations behind the International Workers' Day march have accused the government of mockery for organizing a separate parade featuring uniformed personnel to coincide with the "May Day" demonstrations.
Labor rights organizations held a march on Friday afternoon to bring workers' concerns to the government's attention. Simultaneously, a separate march was organized involving employees from state-owned enterprises. Labor groups have criticized this move, stating it contradicts the spirit of advocating for workers' rights and was intentionally designed to drown out their voices and prevent their demands from being heard.
The march saw participation from the Bodu Kanneli Masverin’s Union (Yellowfin Tuna Fishermen’s Union), advocates for teachers' rights, and organizations representing port workers, alongside various other labor rights groups. The gathering faced a brief delay due to the late start of the government-led march. However, participants were eventually allowed to proceed as they continued to voice their sentiments and demands.
The demands raised during the march included reviewing the minimum wage, ending the intimidation of employees, and removing limits on teachers' overtime pay. Additionally, protesters called for service charges to be paid in US dollars and for an end to assigning non-academic tasks to teachers.
Participants in the march voiced their concerns regarding the various challenges currently facing workers across multiple sectors.
