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When is Labour Day?
Labour Day or International Workers' Day is celebrated every year on the first day of May to acknowledge the contributions of the working class. The day is also intended to raise awareness around workers’ rights. Labour unions celebrate this day by organising programmes, marches and protests that call for better wages and working conditions.
Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement in the United States in the late 19th century—specifically the eight-hour workday movement.
Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement in the United States in the late 19th century—specifically the eight-hour workday movement.
In 1889, The Second International—an organisation created by socialist and labour parties—declared that May 1 would be International Workers’ Day. People in the agitation were protesting long hours, bad working conditions, low wages and child labour. Most notably, the movement revolved around eight-hour workdays. Labour unions demanded that the workers should not be made to work for more than eight hours a day. May Day demonstrations were first held on May 1, 1890 across the US and most European countries. The US recognised Labour Day as a federal holiday in 1894. In 1916, the US began to finally recognise eight-hour workdays after years of protests.
After the Russian Revolution in 1917, May Day was embraced by the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc nations. But with the fall of communist governments around the world, large May Day celebrations have declined over the years. However, in dozens of countries around the world, May Day continues to be celebrated and is a public holiday, including in India.
In India, May Day was first celebrated on May 1, 1923, by a political party called the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan which was founded on the same day in Chennai. Communist leader Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar asked the government that May 1 should be considered as a national holiday to celebrate the efforts of workers.
The day is known as “Kamgar Din” in Hindi, “Karmikara Dinacharane” in Kannada, “Kamgar Divas” in Marathi, and “Shromik Dibosh” in Bengali.
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