May Day or Labour Day
By Dr Arvind Kumar
1st day of May is observed as ‘May day’, also called ‘Labour Day’ and ‘International Workers Day’. The ‘Labour Day’ began with the United States labour movement in 19th century, which was started on May 1, 1886 in United States. Some labour organizations in the country called on strike because they wanted an 8-hour working days. There was carnage in Haymarket Square in Chicago on May 4th; in which near 12 persons died as well as about 100 people were wounded. The protesters did not find an urgent result, but they gained a successful result slowly; when 8-hour the working days happened to be the standard in many countries around the world. ‘Labour Day’ was therefore selected as a day for rallies, processions and speeches. ‘Labour Day’ is a most important holiday in United States, Russia and other nations. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world.
India celebrated the first Labour Day on May 1, 1927. Many Labour Unions are participated in this celebration with pageants in ‘Mayday’ all over India. In India, ‘May day’ is commemorated as ‘Labour Day’. It is now frequently a day for processions and parades. On the ‘Labour Day’, many labour organizations in India is taken march and conduct contests for offspring going to labour category. Nevertheless, in current years, the commemoration of this day has obtained a new role, where the workers and trade organizations claim to protection and safety of the labour force and give the financial growth a humane countenance. The plight of workforce in the unorganized sector in India needs special care in terms of wages and ancillary benefits, including security of jobs.
