The historic May Day will be observed today in the country and elsewhere across the world with due respect. On this august occasion, we are extending our greetings to all working people of the world, including Bangladesh, wishing success to all programs marking the day.
The day is being observed across the globe since 1886 commemorating the supreme sacrifices of the workers at Hay Market, Chicago, in the USA for eight-hour work day and upholding the rights of the working people. To press home their demands, working people had to sacrifice their lives in tragic bomb attacks and police atrocities on May 1, 1886.
The factory owners must pay all the dues
including salaries and Eid bonus of their workers
In 1889, the International Socialist Conference declared that in commemoration of the Haymarket affair, and to pay respect to the innocent victims, 1 May would be an international holiday for labour, now known in many places as International Workers' Day. Ever since then, May Day is observed as a holiday all around the globe.
Worker groups and trade unions, political parties, different government and socio-cultural and professional organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day. They will also press for improving the working conditions with better wages for the workers and job security, marking the day.
On this occasion, all should renew pledge to build an exploitation-free society by establishing the rights of toiling masses and working class people.
Therefore, all will have to come forward for ensuring welfare of the working class people through establishing their rights. We hope that both owners and workers will put in their best efforts to boost production in their factories through maintaining good relations between them.
The government has implemented various programmes to maintain unity and good relations between workers and owners, and ensure a safe working environment. But country’s workers are still being harassed, humiliated and tortured at many factories, mills and industries every day.
It is saddening to note that Wokers are staging demonstrations in different places of the city and its adjacent districts demanding their wages and dues be cleared immediately just one day before Eid-ul-Fitr.
Traffic in those areas remained suspended as several hundred workers of RMG factories took to the streets and put up barricades. Vehicular movement on the streets and highways came to a complete halt due to the blockade, causing immense sufferings to homebound people.
The factory owners must pay all the dues including salaries and Eid bonus of their workers. On the other hand, many RMG workers in the capital Dhaka and its adjacent districts and elsewhere in the country lost their jobs in the last two years due to Coronavirus pandemic.
The government and owners of the industries and factories will have to come forward with a fresh vow to establish the rights of workers. Being imbued with the spirit of the May Day, the workers and owners should devote themselves in increasing the national production.
