A very Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening to Honorable Sir/Madam, respected seniors, and my dear friends, Warm Greetings to Everyone!
Thank you all for taking out time and being present at this seminar session. Today, we are here to celebrate the most important day, ‘Labor Day’.
As we all know Labor Day is celebrated across the globe on 1st May of every year. This day is celebrated to pay tribute to the workers who have made great contributions to make the world stronger and prosper. This day is also known as May Day. May Day is purely celebrated to pay tribute and honor to the contributions made by the workers towards the betterment of an organization and consequently our society. But today, the Labor Day has evolved as a labor union celebration losing the deeper and the true significance of this day.
Earlier in the nineteenth century, working conditions were severe and by then workers went on strike and demanded for eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.
This day is celebrated in order to acknowledge the economic and social achievements of workers. It is celebrated to promote and encourage labor associations. The theme of celebrating this May Day is to finish the struggle as well as to promote the requirement of the eight-hour workday; this was triggered as earlier the standard working hours ranged from 12 to 16 hours a day. To overcome people’s agitation and safeguard themselves from moral and physical injuries it was essential to cut it short to 8 hours a day. This day has the utmost importance in every country as this lays the dedication towards the efforts of the workforce.
Just imagine, if we people had to work for 12 to 16 hours a day how restless and irritated we would have always felt. Honestly, at present we even wish that there should be a provision of flexible hours depending on the workload on an employee or worker. This day has equal or if we may say more important that the appraisal day to the workers. This day has led to a great impact by the reduction of working hours and laying down the base for appraising the accomplishments and achievements of the workforce.
It is also true that the labors are the driving force of our economy and industrial progress. Labors have a great political influence too as certain Labor issues have helped several political parties win elections. Labors help run factories, build roads, buildings, etc drill for oil, and many more.
Since the working conditions in the late nineteenth century were pathetic and unsafe for the workers, they had to work for around 12-16 hours per day. In 1884, The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (FOLTU) passed a resolution that 8 working hours shall constitute a legal working day from 1st May, 1886 onwards. Several movements, strikes, etc were undertaken by the labors demanding a standard eight hours of working day. Five years later, 1st May was recognized as a National holiday by a socialist organization and gradually several countries adopted this culture.
Today’s labors are is no longer ignorant or uneducated people who don’t know their rights or who can be suppressed easily. But there are some big companies which import labors from remote areas or villages. These people are naïve and since they are poor, they agree to work on any term and conditions. The members of our organization travel in those areas and listen to the issues faced by them and highlight the same to the state government and work towards their betterment. We have also opened schools in many villages and impart education to children and grown up people.
Labor Day certainly protects the rights of the labors and the employees should not use it as a weapon to threaten the management in order to achieve undue advantages; only then will the purpose of the Labor Day will be fulfilled.
Hope you all have a great time.
Thank you all.
