It’s 1st May today, everyone knows that some of us also know that it is Labour Day, but only a few knows that what it means and why it is celebrated all over the globe. Let’s find out the story behind it and know about workers in our country:
~History~
In the late nineteenth century, the working class was in constant struggle to gain the 8-hour work day. Working conditions were severe and it was quite common to work 10 to 16 hour days in unsafe conditions. Death and injury were commonplace at many work places.
As early as the 1860’s, working people agitated to shorten the workday without a cut in pay, but it wasn’t until the late 1880’s that organized labor was able to garner enough strength to declare the 8-hour workday. This proclamation was without the consent of employers, yet demanded by many of the working class.
May 1, 1886, labor action wasn’t just any strike—it was part of what became known as the Haymarket affair(Haymarket massacre). On May 1 of that year, Chicago (along with other cities) was the site of a major union demonstration in support of the eight-hour workday. The Chicago protests were meant to be part of several days of action. On May 3, a strike at the McCormick Reaper plant in the city turned violent; the next day, a peaceful meeting at Haymarket Square became even more so. In 1889, the International Socialist Conference declared that, in commemoration of the Haymarket affair, May 1 would be an international holiday for labor, now known in many places as International Workers’ Day.
In the U.S., that holiday came in for particular contempt during the anti-communist fervor of the early Cold War. In July of 1958, President Eisenhower signed a resolution named May 1 “Loyalty Day” in an attempt to avoid any hint of solidarity with the “workers of the world” on May Day. The resolution declared that it would be “a special day for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States of America and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.”
~Labour Day Celebration~
International Labour Day or May Day is celebrated to finish the struggle as well as to promote the requirement of the eight-hour work day. Earlier the working condition of the laborer was very severe and working hours was 10 to 16 hour a day even in the unsafe conditions. Deaths, injuries and other dreadful conditions of the workers were very common at the workplace during the 1860’s and working people were very agitated throughout the workday until the 8-hour workday was declared.
International Labor Day is celebrated yearly as an official holiday all over the world to celebrate the accomplishments of workers. People enjoy celebrating the May Day or Labour Day by arranging the big party and lots of programs. They decorate the banners and flags using colors just like an Independence Day celebration.
Labour Day in India or May Day was first celebrated in Chennai (then known as Madras) on May 1, 1923. The initiative was taken by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan. The leader of the party, Comrade Singaravelar arranged two meetings to celebrate this occasion.
One meeting was held at the Triplicane Beach, and the other took place at the beach opposite Madras High Court. On the meeting, Singaravelar passed a resolution which stated that the government should announce a national holiday on the May Day or Labour Day in India. He also emphasized the need for non-violence within a political party. This was the first time a red flag was used in India. it is also known as ‘Kamgar Din’ in Hindi, ‘Kamgar Divas‘ in Marathi and ‘Uzhaipalar Naal‘ in Tamil.
~INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION~
International Labour Organization (ILO) is an agency located in the United Nations, established to deal with labor issues on the international level. It has around 185 members of the total (193) UN member states. It was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1969 for promoting peace among classes, deal with workers issues, providing them technical assistance in order to develop nations.It deals with all the complaints violating the international rules for labor class people. It organizes an International Labour Conference (parliament of labor, having 4 representatives, 2 government, 1 employer and 1 worker delegate) on annual basis in the Geneva in the month of June to make general policies, planning programs and deciding the budget.
~Themes~
There are many Themes provided by the Government to the people to focus on their Rights to be achieved in a better way and they are as follows:-
- The theme of the International Labour Day in the year 2016 was “International Labour Movement Celebration”.
- The theme for the International Labour Day in the year 2015 was “Build the Future in Solidarity, Peace and Decent work of Cameroon”.
- The theme for the International Labour Day in the year 2014 was “Providing of the Job with helping of the Capital by giving value the work”.
- The theme for the International Labour Day in the year 2013 was “Employment promotion by helping Entrepreneurs Perspectives”.
Labour day has led the people worldwide to celebrate the true spirit of the working people. On this day, workers unite and showcase their strength, which indicates that if required, they can struggle to make positive changes for the workers of the society.
To sum up the dreams of labor the perfect lines are: “What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and fewer jails; more books and fewer arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures.” Samuel Gompers
References :
http://www.thehindu.com/specials/in-depth/all-you-need-to-know-about-may-day/article7161707.ece
http://ilo.org/global/topics/labour-law/lang–en/index.htm
http://time.com/3836834/may-day-labor-history/
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
