Non-workers on parade on workers day
Since the famous Haymarket riots in Chicago in 1884 that led to international recognition for a day dedicated to rights of workers, May Day has become an officially sanctioned day for protests
Thursday, 28 April 2016
The 1 May celebration in Sri Lanka is perhaps unique in the world as an event where the major political parties in power (or in Opposition) take to the streets crowding out unions or other groups. These political parades get bigger each year.
Earlier there was some effort to have participants march as workers representing different sectors, but now all pretences to a Labour Day parade are gone. The parades are now organised according to 160 or so electoral organising units with each unit distinguished by hats or t-shirts with the local politico’s name, or even the face occasionally.
Why would anybody walk in the hot sun with somebody’s name or face on a t-shirt when that somebody is not Che, Bob Marley or other folk hero? I am guessing that these participants are political serfs who have not done an honest day of work, but hang around politicians. According to the latest labour force survey of 2015, the 8.5 million strong labour force in country consisted private sector employee (40%), Self-employed (32%), Public sector employees (14%), Contributing family workers (9%) and employers (3%).
Of these categories, it is not too hard to guess that the kind of worker who would participate in these political parades would be somebody who secured a government job thanks to the person whose face or name they are displaying, or somebody aspiring for a government job through the same route. We should do more than guessing and do some analysis of these participants. For the moment, my object is to draw attention to the issue.
Politicians will take any opportunity to advance their political agenda, but shame on the media who report these parades in excruciating detail without exposing the farce.
May days across the world
Since the famous Haymarket riots in Chicago in 1884 that led to international recognition for a day dedicated to rights of workers, May Day has become an officially sanctioned day for protests. It has become a time for those don’t get representation in Parliament or exposure in media to get into limelight. In 2015, the Guardian of UK captured some of those moments from across the world as follows:
“Batam, Indonesia: Workers demand an increase in welfare, health and employment contracts ; Dhaka, Bangladesh: Garment workers and other labour organisations shout slogans ; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, People march towards the Petronas Towers during a May Day protest against a tax on goods and services ; Manila, Philippines: Demonstrators demand better labour programs and higher salaries for low-income workers; Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Cambodian Labour Confederation workers outside the National Assembly calling for the government to renegotiate the $177 monthly minimum wage ; Rangoon, Burma:
Workers gather with banners for a rally to protest against wages they claim are as low as $5 a day.”
See more >>>
Since the famous Haymarket riots in Chicago in 1884 that led to international recognition for a day dedicated to rights of workers, May Day has become an officially sanctioned day for protestsThursday, 28 April 2016The 1 May celebration in Sri Lanka is perhaps unique in the world as an event where the major political parties in power (or in Opposition) take to the streets crowding out unions or other groups. These political parades get bigger each year.Earlier there was some effort to have participants march as workers representing different sectors, but now all pretences to a Labour Day parade are gone. The parades are now organised according to 160 or so electoral organising units with each unit distinguished by hats or t-shirts with the local politico’s name, or even the face occasionally.
Why would anybody walk in the hot sun with somebody’s name or face on a t-shirt when that somebody is not Che, Bob Marley or other folk hero? I am guessing that these participants are political serfs who have not done an honest day of work, but hang around politicians. According to the latest labour force survey of 2015, the 8.5 million strong labour force in country consisted private sector employee (40%), Self-employed (32%), Public sector employees (14%), Contributing family workers (9%) and employers (3%).
Of these categories, it is not too hard to guess that the kind of worker who would participate in these political parades would be somebody who secured a government job thanks to the person whose face or name they are displaying, or somebody aspiring for a government job through the same route. We should do more than guessing and do some analysis of these participants. For the moment, my object is to draw attention to the issue.
Politicians will take any opportunity to advance their political agenda, but shame on the media who report these parades in excruciating detail without exposing the farce.
May days across the world
Since the famous Haymarket riots in Chicago in 1884 that led to international recognition for a day dedicated to rights of workers, May Day has become an officially sanctioned day for protests. It has become a time for those don’t get representation in Parliament or exposure in media to get into limelight. In 2015, the Guardian of UK captured some of those moments from across the world as follows:
“Batam, Indonesia: Workers demand an increase in welfare, health and employment contracts ; Dhaka, Bangladesh: Garment workers and other labour organisations shout slogans ; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, People march towards the Petronas Towers during a May Day protest against a tax on goods and services ; Manila, Philippines: Demonstrators demand better labour programs and higher salaries for low-income workers; Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Cambodian Labour Confederation workers outside the National Assembly calling for the government to renegotiate the $177 monthly minimum wage ; Rangoon, Burma:
Workers gather with banners for a rally to protest against wages they claim are as low as $5 a day.”
See more >>>
