Workers across Europe, Asia, and Latin America took to the streets in massive numbers on Thursday to mark International Workers’ Day, with protests against inflation, gig economy exploitation, and authoritarian labor policies drawing millions into city centers from Paris to Jakarta to São Paulo.
Europe: Strikes and Marches
France saw the largest May Day mobilization in over a decade, with an estimated 2.3 million people marching in 312 cities, according to the CGT trade union confederation. In Paris, crowds stretched from Place de la République to Place de la Nation, with union leaders using the occasion to escalate their campaign against President Macron’s proposed pension reforms that would raise the retirement age to 64.
Clashes erupted on the margins of the Paris march when a group of black-clad demonstrators threw projectiles at riot police, who responded with tear gas. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reported 112 arrests nationwide but emphasized that the vast majority of demonstrations “proceeded peacefully.”
In Germany, the Ver.di trade union organized rallies in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, focusing on demands for a minimum wage increase to 15 euros per hour and shorter working weeks. Berlin’s Alexanderplatz was filled with an estimated 150,000 participants, many carrying signs reading “Fair Pay Now” and “4 Days, Same Pay.”
Spain’s CCOO and UGT unions marched through Madrid demanding enforcement of the new gig economy law that requires platforms like Uber and Glovo to classify workers as employees. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed a rally in Barcelona, pledging “no retreat on workers’ rights.”
Asia: Defying Crackdowns
In South Korea, tens of thousands gathered at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square despite the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s warning that “illegal” strikes could lead to prosecution. Union leaders demanded the reversal of recent labor law amendments that make it easier for employers to hire temporary workers and weaken strike protections.
Indonesia’s May Day protests were among the largest globally, with an estimated 500,000 workers marching in Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung. The Indonesian Trade Union Congress (KSPI) led demonstrations demanding an increase in the minimum wage by 13% and an end to the Omnibus Law on Job Creation, which critics say has eroded worker protections introduced during the Suharto era.
In the Philippines, university students joined factory workers in Manila’s Liwasang Bonifacio, chanting against contractualization and low wages. The Associated Movement of Filipino Workers reported that over 8,000 participated despite heavy police presence.
Latin America: Economic Anger
Buenos Aires saw its largest May Day turnout since the 2001 economic collapse, with an estimated 400,000 workers marching against President Javier Milei’s austerity program. Union leader Pablo Moyano, of the powerful truck drivers’ union, delivered a fiery speech declaring “Milei wants to return Argentina to the 19th century, and we say absolutely not.”
In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed a crowd of over 100,000 in São Paulo’s Praça da Sé, highlighting his administration’s minimum wage increase and expansion of labor court protections. Opposition leader Jair Bolsonaro, currently facing legal proceedings, posted on social media calling May Day “a celebration of socialism’s failures.”
Mexico City’s Zócalo was filled with teachers, nurses, and maquiladora workers demanding better pay and working conditions. The protests came just weeks before the country’s presidential election, with candidates from all parties scrambling to show solidarity with labor.
The Gig Economy Focus
A recurring theme across nearly every continent was anger at platform companies. In London, Deliveroo and Uber Eats riders staged a “log-off strike” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., refusing to accept orders during the lunch rush. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain estimated that 70% of London-based gig workers participated.
The International Labour Organization released a report timed to coincide with May Day, estimating that 783 million workers globally live in extreme poverty, with gig economy workers among the most vulnerable. The report called for “urgent regulatory frameworks” to protect platform workers, noting that only 47 countries have enacted any form of gig worker legislation.
Government Responses
Reactions from governments varied sharply. The European Commission issued a statement supporting “the right to peaceful protest and collective bargaining,” while Russia’s Kremlin used the occasion to host a state-sanctioned rally in Moscow’s Red Square, with President Putin praising “the dignity of Russian labor.”
In the United States, where May Day has historically received less attention, small but vocal protests occurred in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, primarily organized by immigrant rights groups demanding pathways to citizenship and protections for undocumented workers in construction, agriculture, and food service.
What Comes Next
Union leaders across continents signaled that May Day 2026 was just the beginning. The European Trade Union Confederation announced a “European Day of Action” for June 15, with coordinated strikes planned in transportation, education, and healthcare. In Latin America, the CUT Brazil and CGT Argentina are coordinating a cross-border “Continental Strike” for September.
The scale of Thursday’s protests suggests that post-pandemic labor anger has not subsided but rather intensified, fueled by persistent inflation, corporate profits at record highs, and a growing sense among workers that the economic recovery has been profoundly unequal. Whether that anger translates into concrete policy changes remains the central question as governments worldwide face mounting pressure from their working populations.
