Dili, May 2, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Timor-Leste Trade Union Confederation (KSTL) held a long march to commemorate International Workers’ Day 2025, under the theme “Promoting Decent Work as the Center of Social and Economic Development in Timor-Leste.” The event took place on Thursday.
KSTL Vice President Serafico Soares said that KSTL and workers gathered to celebrate May 1st by marching on foot from Bemori to seaside Government Palace. He emphasized that the celebration was not exclusive to Timor-Leste but part of a global movement where workers come together to voice long-standing demands.
“Workers in Timor-Leste face many daily injustices. That’s why this day is crucial for all workers in Timor-Leste to take to the streets to demand their rights and deliver a political statement. It’s not just a celebration,” said KSTL Vice President Serafico Soares.
He continued that KSTL, as the only central union organization in Timor-Leste, speaks on behalf of workers across all sectors.
“We call on all general sectors such as domestic workers, store and construction workers, the electricity sector, maritime sector, transport, and energy. We are all here to speak up about our rights that have long been suppressed. This year, we want to express our feelings about the discrimination we experience, often caused by investors who are allowed to deny workers’ rights,” he added.
He stressed that the most important demand on this day is the urgent need to raise the minimum wage from $115 to $150. He noted that the wage has remained stagnant for 13 years, showing a lack of seriousness from the government in protecting workers’ rights. He emphasized that workers need strong representation to defend their rights.
Representing women workers, Madalena Lay da Conceição Dias stated that every year she feels proud to participate in International Workers’ Day because it gives her a chance to express the struggles faced by workers, especially regarding the low minimum wage.
“While we shout here today, it’s because of our low minimum wage. As government workers, we feel like no one pays attention to us. We’ve been raising our voices for many years, but our wages have never increased, not even a little. We continue to receive the same amount. We don’t even understand how our working hours are calculated, but we still give our full effort because of our needs,” said workers’ representative Madalena Lay da Conceição Dias.
She added, “We start work at 7:00 in the morning and finish at 9:00 at night. As women working in households, before going home we must prepare food for our employers and clean their homes. After work, we return home using our own transport. That’s why we urge the government to pay attention to these concerns.”
“We work at OJTL and receive a salary of $115, but some of our colleagues only get $80 or even $70 per month. This is very concerning. We’ve repeatedly voiced this issue to our employers, but they don’t care about our complaints. That’s why we continue to urge the government to genuinely pay attention to us, the women workers, across all of Timor-Leste,” she said.
She emphasized the ongoing challenges faced by workers and called on the government to urgently raise the minimum wage of all workers in the country from $115 to $150, so that they can at least support their families at home. But with the current minimum wage, they feel insecure because everything in life requires money.
She further explained that in the celebration of International Workers’ Day, KSTL gathered together with its affiliates or associations and key development partners such as civil society, activists, and students, to come together in one place to speak out about the struggles workers face, so that the government can resolve these issues
Report: Nelfiano
Photo: Nelfiano