A day off from the work to celebrate the working community's toil!
As a tribute to the hardworking community across the globe, the Labour Day also known as Workers' Day is celebrated worldwide on May 1.
Celebrated nationally and internationally, the Worker's Day aims at encouraging the labourers and their work across different sectors.
Nearly 80 nations across the globe, including India, observe the holiday on May 1 for the annual celebrations of the day.
History of the day
Labour's day celebrations started in various countries under various backgrounds. However, it shares a common ground of its united action against the exploitation of the working-class community.
Initially, Canada and the United States used to celebrate the day on September 1.
The central aim of organising a day for the workers is to commemorate the culmination of their struggle to lessen the working hours in a day to eight hours of the labour.
Prior to this, particularly during the period of industrialization in Europe and in parts of America, the workers had to work for more than 12 to 16 hours a day, that too in heavy industries under unsafe conditions.
They were thus exploited and tortured ruthlessly by the industrialists. On this day in 1886, the revolt against this unjust system came to an end with the employees agreeing to the workers' demand for paid leaves, good wages and proper break hours in between.
By reducing the working hours to eight hours in a day, the workers were also ensured of all their rights in a workspace, while providing safe and healthier grounds. Unions for the working community were formed to represent their issues and problems in the workplaces.
How is it celebrated?
In India, the first May Day was celebrated in 1923 in Chennai by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan. The red flag symbolising the working-class community was first hoisted there in the country.
The day is widely known in India as Kamgar Din or Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas in Hindi, Kamgar Divas in Marathi and Uzhaipalar Naal in Tamil.
Various events are launched across the countries that celebrate May Day. The celebrations in India usually include programs organised by the various unions of workers under different sectors. The red flag representing the Union and workers will be hoisted.
With the relaxing of working hours, the working-class community are freed of the stress and pressure from lots of activities to be performed in a single day.
International Labour Day 2020
The theme of the International Labour Day in the year 2019 was "Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement".
With the strict lockdown measures imposed and stay-at-home being mandatory to flatten the coronavirus curve, the government has requested all its people to stay off from the public gatherings, meetings and programs associated with the day.
Due to the rising cases of Covid-19, most of the employees across the global sector have been losing their jobs.
The economic slowdown has significantly impacted most of the leading MNCs and other small scale companies, people are forced to agree to the salary cuts along with the unexplained termination from their jobs.
