Workers rallies across Asia resounded with a similar message on Friday, as protests, marches, and discussions marked International Workers’ Day. Workers shouted varying versions of the slogan, “Getting by—but not getting ahead.”
Disrupted by inflation and shortages as a fallout of the war in Iran, with spiking oil and gas prices affecting the daily expenses, labor intensive countries like India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and others across the region called for higher wages, relief from the rising cost of living, and freedom of assembly.
Many of the marches were peaceful on Friday morning, with some focusing on celebration and honoring workers. Others were far more contentious.
In Istanbul, Turkey, workers headed for Taksim Square, which had already been announced as out of bounds by authorities earlier in the week, and they were were met with tear gas and water cannons. Roads leading to the square had earlier been barricaded and transport lines to the area suspended.
Placards that read “Bread. Peace. Freedom,” were only the briefest summary, union leaders told Sourcing Journal, of the fight to keep ahead of inflation, which they said still hovered around 40 percent. The government claims that has fallen to 30 percent.
Union leaders said that more than 300 people were arrested on Friday morning, adding into arrests made earlier in the week in a bid to prevent the rallies or recognize worker grievances.
By contrast, there is China. International Workers’ Day kicked off a broader Golden Week holiday period in the country—a nationally observed break where holiday spirit encourages domestic travel and time off for labor. Unlike many other Asian countries where May Day is marked by protests and public demonstrations, there were official celebrations, cultural programming, and state messaging around labor contributions in China.
In Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest apparel exporter, May Day protests carried the weight of months of tension over wages and working conditions. Thousands of garment workers rallied in and around Dhaka and its suburbs of Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur and Narayanganj alongside other industrial labor groups. They were calling for a revision of the minimum wage, which unions argue still falls far short of a living standard.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke at the first major such rally at Naya Paltan after winning the parliamentary win earlier this year. “Workers across all sectors had been deprived of rights and that industries, education and healthcare systems had been damaged through misrule and corruption,” he said, addressing one of the largest such gatherings of workers since his return to Bangladesh after nearly 15 years of exile.
Although the demonstrations underscored persistent tensions between workers, factory owners and the government over issues of wage, safe workplaces, and ration facilities, there was also an acknowledgement of the passage of the Bangladesh Labor Amendment Act which was finalized in April. The amendments ease trade union formation requirements and introduce a workplace accident compensation fund.
Gilbert Houngbo, director general of the International Labor Organization (ILO), said the new law “reinforced fundamental principles and rights at work while also establishing critical new institutions to enhance industrial relations.”
However, as he pointed out, “The focus naturally shifts towards the operationalization of these landmark reforms. Further strengthening labor administration and industrial relations are foremost priorities ahead of us.”
In Cambodia, the message was equally direct.
“International Workers’ Day is a historic occasion to honor workers’ contributions while reflecting on ongoing challenges to labor rights and social justice,” Khun Tharo of the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights told Sourcing Journal. “Freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the right to peaceful strike are fundamental labor rights… however, workers and independent trade unions continue to face serious administrative, legal and practical obstacles.”
In a joint petition submitted to the Royal Government of Cambodia and international partners several civil society organizations, associations, trade unions, and union federations called for an urgent focus on restoring and removing barriers to the exercise of freedom of association.
“In Cambodia, the garment, footwear, and travel goods sectors are the primary industries, employing approximately 1.11 million workers. These sectors play a crucial role in driving national economic growth. However, around 75 percent of workers in these industries—most of whom are women—face difficult living conditions, as the wages they receive are insufficient to meet their basic needs. This situation has pushed many of them into cycles of debt from which it is difficult to escape,” the petition read, while pointing out that unions that could help protect the workers had “complex, slow registration procedures lacking in transparency, which undermines unions’ ability to effectively represent workers and protect their rights.”
Listing seven urgent priorities in the petition, Tharo pointed out that these included “eliminating the use of fixed-duration contracts to ensure workers can fully exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining rights without discrimination,” “establishing an independent labor court to resolve disputes,” “conducting open consultations and widely disseminate guidelines on the classification of collective and individual labor disputes” and “dropping all remaining charges against independent trade union leaders in Cambodia.”
In Indonesia, it was a similar call.
“Workers are already living paycheck to paycheck,” said Said Iqbal, president of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation.
On Friday, large crowds of workers gathered around the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta, where labor unions, factory workers and ride-hailing drivers assembled to voice their demands directly to the government, with president Prabowo Subianto present at the location.
Labor leaders said the event was not “just a ceremony, but a moment to press the government for action” demanding wage increases as well as protection for labor.
At the event, president Prabowo Subianto emphasized that leadership should respond to the needs of people, pledging to work to provide affordable housing and childcare facilities to help workers, signaling that his government was paying attention to labor in the face of rising economic pressures.
India’s May Day protests brought together garment workers from industrial hubs such as Bengaluru, Tirupur, and Delhi-NCR.
Labor organizations emphasized the need for formalization in a sector where many workers remain on short-term or informal contracts. Rising inflation and job insecurity were key themes, with workers calling for stronger enforcement of labor laws and social protections.
The most immediate backdrop was from the National Capital Region (NCR), where large-scale labor unrest erupted in early April over wage revisions and inflation-linked pay demands. Workers in industrial clusters such as Noida and Gurugram staged repeated demonstrations, with some protests turning violent amid clashes with police and damage to factory property.
Rallies across other cities brought together trade unions, industrial workers and informal sector groups, many highlighting wage stagnation and job insecurity. In Chennai, where May Day has historic roots in India, workers called for stronger protections. “We are working more, earning less, and living with uncertainty,” one protester said.
As a worker at an assembly marking the day early morning at an industrial unit in Chennai said, “It’s not about protest. We have to learn to negotiate, we have to learn the persistence to make it happen. And today, we are also celebrating ourselves.”
