International Workers’ Day also known as May Day or Labour Day in some countries is celebrated on May 1st around the world to honour workers and recognize their contributions to the growth of the world.
The origin of May Day dates back to the 1860s when working conditions were harsh and it was quite common to work ’10-16 hours’ daily in hazardous and unsafe conditions in some industries. For this reason, thousands of men, women and children were losing their lives every year in the workplace due to hazardous working conditions and the employers seemed unbothered.
Out of desperation, some of the workers tried to shorten the workday to 8 hours without a pay cut. This led to a nationwide protest which was staged on May 1, 1886 in Chicago and other cities in the U.S in a demonstration of support for the 8-hour workday.
Unfortunately, the protest turned violent and lives were lost to this cause and this dubbed the Haymarket affair.
This made May 1 chosen for International Workers’ Day by the ‘Second International’, a pan-national organisation of socialist and communist political parties, to commemorate the Haymarket affair.
To this end, all Social Democratic Party Organisations and Trade Unions of countries were called on to demonstrate energetically on the 1st of May, for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, class demands of the workers and for universal peace.
Notably, hundreds of countries have recognized the International Workers’ Day, but only about 60 countries actually celebrate the holiday
In Nigeria, May Day as a holiday was first declared by the People Redemption Party (PRP) Government of Kano State in 1980 and It became a national holiday on May 1, 1981.
The day is perceived as a well respected occasion to commemorate and thank Nigerian workers and labourers for their hard work to keep the nation’s economy running. Accordingly, Nigerian workers are expected to be honored on that day for staying positive, being a partner in nation-building and contributing towards efforts to take the country to its deserved heights.
The day brings together People from different walks of life at the federal, states and local levels to hold march pass and other activities to commemorate the day.Traditionally, the President, Governors, local government leadership and Union leadership address the workers at the event on matters affecting them and what the government have in stocks for the workers who are regarded as the engine room of any nation.
Unarguably, for any country to function optimally, the wellbeing of its workforce must be its top priority ranging from improved welfare package, good working environment and healthcare. Unfortunately this is not the case in Nigeria whose workforce has been subjected to harsh working conditions, low wages and delayed salaries, as well as limited social protection.
The development has in no small measure impacted negatively their wellbeing, productivity and overall quality of life. In most cases, Nigerian workers “take home pay” cannot even take them home. With the biting economic atmosphere in the country, the plight of Nigerian workers can only be imagined. Many cannot even afford the basic necessities of life. In the words of the late Music icon, Nigeria workers are “suffering and smiling”.
In this regard, to address the plight of workers , the government , employers and relevant stakeholders must work together to ensure that wages keep peace with inflation and living cost . This will maintain the mental health of the workforce. There is also the need to provide save working environment, adequate work tools and training for them. Accessible healthcare cannot be ignored. To this end, the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA should be all-encompassing to adequately address the health needs of the Nigerian workforce. In the same vein , Pension schemes should be accessible to retirees without subjecting them to untold but avoidable hardship. Equally ,the protection of workers’ rights in all its ramifications will contribute to a more stable and productive workforce in the country.
UZOAMAKA ONWU WRITES FROM RADIO NIGERIA TREASURE FM, PORT HARCOURT
