100 DAYS WRITING CHALLENGE
International Labour Day
All you need to know about 1st May — Episode 16
I remember as a child, my father’s article appeared in the national newspaper on 1st May in the late 80s. He wrote about International Labour Day that really inspired me. Today, I have got the genuine opportunity to be in my father’s shoes. Though, I will not be even close to his calibre. But the least I can do is try to raise my voice for the benefit of the masses.
To understand the concept of labour day, think of the white-collar office timings. In 99% of cases, it is 9:00 am to 5:00 pm or as we call it, 9 to 5 jobs.
If you calculate the hours from nine to five, it works out to be exactly 8. If we go further deep, there is a rationale behind it. A human being should spend 8 hours for work, 8 hours for recreation, and 8 hours for rest. This applies equally to both white-collar and blue-collar jobs. In fact, modern-day white-collar people spend more time working than labourers. This is the irony but we have to live with it.
In 1889, the Marxist International Socialist Congress adopted a resolution for a great international demonstration in which they demanded that the workers should not be made to work for more than 8 hours a day. After this, it became an annual event and May 1 was celebrated as Labour Day.
There is also a downside to international labour day. That said, the hourly wage labourers are not getting any benefit from this festivity as they keep away from earning bread and butter on this day. I have witnessed labourers queuing on 1st May like any other day and running after people to feed their families.
Another memory I have from the Middle East. The region’s temperature in summer goes up to 50 centigrade and even more. A few years ago, the government of Dubai announced a 3-hour break for the labourers during the day. But they made no prior arrangements for their rest and comfort in the scorching heat. So, this break did not do any good for them. Need I say more guys? Do share your thoughts about this day, on this day.
I hope you enjoyed today’s episode. See you tomorrow!