The imperatives on May Day
MAY Day is much more than a remembrance of an event or a mere observance of a day. It is fundamentally a recapitulation of the history that has gone into the making of the day and the ramifications that have flowed from it. What happened in Chicago in 1886 was but a natural outburst on the part of workers who, like anyone else, clearly felt that they had a right to dignity and self-esteem. It is that self-esteem we celebrate today. And yet we remain conscious of the fact that the cause for which those workers in America sacrificed their lives remains to be taken to a definitive conclusion through an assurance of the rights workers everywhere are naturally as well as politically entitled to.
As we observe May Day, therefore, we cannot but focus on the conditions in which the working classes in Bangladesh have conducted their lives over the years. Properly speaking, it is a day that they should be celebrating to demonstrate their triumph over social exclusion and deprivation. Unfortunately, when we observe the realities before us, we understand only too well the pains our workers yet go through. The regularity with which garments workers take to the streets to demand their wages, often in arrears, demonstrates the sheer callousness with which large sections of people are still treated in this country. Add to that the terrible fact of the long hours that labourers, workers and domestics are compelled to spend at work despite the prevalence of clear international regulations in this regard. As we reflect on May Day and take the day off as a holiday, we cannot but tell ourselves that those for whom the day should be one of unfettered celebration are themselves unable to enjoy it. Bus drivers and helpers, rickshaw pullers, et al, go through the day with little idea that it really should belong to them.
The pledge that we therefore should be making today is one of upholding the dignity of labour through ensuring for workers the rights and privileges they are entitled to under the law. As matters stand today, a subtle, insidious form of slavery appears to be at work in places that should have symbolised workers' emancipation. It is just such a condition which must be rolled back. Making sure that workers are free to enjoy their rights as citizens and at the same time ensuring an adherence to work ethics can be a most befitting way of paying tribute to the martyrs of Chicago.
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