Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque and M Abul Kashem Mozumder :
May day is also called international labor day. Workers all over the globe observe 1st May as May Day as an expression of solidarity of the workers. They are united to thwart any move of the employers to ride roughshod over their rights. ‘International Labour Day is a celebration of labourers and the working classes, promoted by the international labour movements socialists, and communists. It takes place every year on May 1 which also matches with the Celtic spring festival. The theme of the International Labour Day of 2016 is ‘Celebrating the International Labour Movement’. The significance of International Labour Day includes the following points:
The day has its origins in the labour union movement, particularly the eight-hour day movement, which supports eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest May Day has long been a crucial point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups.
May Day has been an important official holiday in countries such as the People’s Republic of China, North Korea, Cuba, and the former Soviet Union. May Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries During the Cold War, May Day became intermittent for large military parades in Red Square by the Soviet Union and was attended by the top leaders of the Kremlin, especially the Politburo, atop Lenin’s Tomb. It became an enduring symbol of that period.
Seminal events in connection with May Day:
In Chicago, on May 4, 1886, a bomb blast killed seven police officers and four civilians The dynamite blast was a reply to the killings of peaceful demonstrators by police the day before After the bombing, eight anarchists were convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to death The case shaped international headlines because the indication suggested that none of those eight men had thrown the bomb.
Three years later, a French socialist party created an international day to honour the labour movement and marked May 1 in commemoration of the Haymarket Massacre.
The workers constituting a ‘disadvantaged locus’ revolted against oppressive regime for the establishment of their rights. The disgruntled workers resorted to violent means to overthrow the regime that continued to ride roughshod over their rights. The onslaught of uprisings swept king or dictators out of power. The working class mainly consisting of peasants and industrial labour organized into a countervailing force against the deluge of labour exploitation contributed to political change replacing old regime. Yet their expectations for a change in a seemingly new political environment have not been fulfilled.
Historically the ordinary working masses were subject to the ruthless process of exploitation. The process started in the twilight of primitive civilization. Slavery, advocated by Aristotle as an institution, emerged rather as a highly exploitative mechanism torturing the workers. Class conflict was in an embryonic stage with the advent of slavery as a pervasive phenomenon.
Slaves, though not organized with any ambition and awareness, were compelled to become extremely agitated as they suffered manifold torture and persecution at the hands of their cruel masters. This was an expression of anguish over inhuman torture. This otherwise was not an organized movement for economic emancipation and revolutionary changeover. The slaves lacked consciousness about class struggle. Nevertheless sporadic movement weakened power base of the power as exploiters. In the long run slavery was replaced by a new form of exploitation like feudalism ruling the roost in Europe and America.
1886 was a turning point in the history struggle against labour exploitation. . It was the saga of movement for fair field and congenial work conditions. In May, 1886 the industrial workers observed strike in Chicago demanding 8 hour work time. The police fired upon processions killing many among the Processionists. Later on the front-line organizer was hanged to death. The episode centering on the uprisings stirred the whole world to its depth. In due respect to the martyrs of Chicago movement the second international labour conference at Paris in 14 July 1889 decided to declare 1st May as international solidarity and rights day.
We pay homage to those workers but for whose supreme sacrifice it would have been impossible to bring labour rights under legal institutional framework, policy-fold in other words. Now several laws are there to protect the rights of the workers. Factory law, 1985 industrial relations laws 1969, workers’ compensation act 1923, the minimum wage ordinance 1961, the fatal accident act 1938, dock Workers act, 1924 .
We may better observe the day if we could conduct advocacy against hazardous child labour . This is the most cruest form of labour exploitation. We see child labour in ship breaking industries suffering a lot leadind sub-human life. Child labour is a multi-dimensional and complex issue: it is symptomatic of economic vulnerability, an inadequate legislative framework and labour laws, institutional barriers, cultural and social inequities and an inaccessible, low-quality educational system, including inadequate provision of technical and vocational education (TVE).The incidence of child labour in Bangladesh is high. Bangladesh is a low-income country. In 2003 the per capita gross domestic product was estimated at USD 489 (ADB, 2008 and from 1997-2006, 36% of the population lived below the poverty line with an income less than $1 USD per day (UNDP, 2005). It should be noted that nearly 83% of the population had an income less than $2 USD (UNDP, 2005). Research has shown that in countries with a per capita income of $500 USD or less, the child labour force participation is extremely high at 30-60% (ILO, 2006). Children either drop out or become irregular attendees at school, to work to augment the family income.
In Bangladesh like in other underdeveloped countries poor children grow up on the margins of society in a state of neglect and deprivation, without educations, affection, care and guidance. Their involvement in works holds manifold hazards and risks. The main problems about their life include difficulty in getting job, or even if the job is found, the dissatisfaction at job, misbehavior from the employers, scarcity of money when they are ill and have to buy medicine or when they need doctor, only one dress to wear in the school and no time to play in the afternoon when, all others play.
The burden of works for a meager wage compels them to sacrifice rights to education. The ILO convention states that a job that contradicts with right to education is not approved for a 12 years old child. In 2003 ‘Global March’ seminar (Brazil) proclaimed right of children to education, end of child exploitation, removing obstacles to child development and stopping child labour
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Professor, Department of Public Administration and Dr. Abul Kashem Mozumder, Member, PSC)
