May Day draft

International Workers' Day, the day to fight for worker's rights for a more comfortable life. It is now known as is a "celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement" (wikipedia). In this day thousands of workers around the world gather and walk fighting for their rights as workers. As usual these worker are mere followers of an ideal that was proposed by someone who dared to do something about the working oppression. Thanks to the protesters in Chicago the society is able to live a much more comfortable life today.

Currently, I do not have enough working experience to state if the working hours or activities are in some way unfair. Also based on what I know about other countries where this event is carried on, I do not think workers should continue fighting for more comfort, unless the salary is rather insufficient. I do think however, that those who died fighting for these rights should continue to be honored and the working hours and habits should not be altered if these fulfill the requirements of a "fair job". Thanks to these people, workers can now have a reasonable laboral working day.

I was not aware that this holiday was not celebrated in America. This is because I chose not to pay attention to it and those around me do not really become part of it. They never had. Also I am not emotionally attached to this date or the results brought upon. This might be because I am currently not working, therefore I can say that this celebration is a hypocritical in most countries like any other holiday.


In America this date might not be celebrated due to this reason. workers have enough rights and other than salary they should not complain. I personally think that working eight hours a day is insignificant compared to the amount of time invested into watching TV, or socializing for some, a day. I think that workers in other countries that also have to work eight hours a day and still strike over it are just taking advantage of a memorial. Most people do not even know the history explaining why this holiday exist. They just feel comfortable knowing that their rather comfortable but insufficient lives could improve.

Due to the difficult times many years ago, workers had the reasonable right to fight for their own rights as workers. It is clear that they were seeking for some sense of balance. However today, I think this is just a holiday on which workers take advantage of. For example, in Spain. Most stores except for the ones in Madrid close at five to have free time. It is usually known as nap time. Then an hour later they open their business once again for the remaining two hours of eight they have to work. It is also commonly known in Spain, that for every four workers one works and the remaining three watch. In my time living there I experienced how these people still celebrated May 1st and fought against working oppression.

In Japan, for example, people do not really celebrate May 1st because it is not even an official holiday. It just happens to be in Golden week where most workers have vacations and do not have to work. Some of them might protest as a part of fulfilling the traditions of this foreigner holiday, however there has not been any mayor change due to this movement.


I personally do not plan on celebrating this date in any way. Although I will not be living in America when I have an opportunity to work, I still would think of May 1st as a mere day in the month of May rather than an opportunity to foment my sloth rather than a day to honor those who died for these rights. I am against this type of celebrations because I am usually active. However, for the environment a working time reduction would actually have a positive impact. Described this way, I would certainly support this holiday with this purpose. Considering that companies will not let such thing happen due to keeping an stabilized economy I have just chosen not to become part of this holiday. If sloth develops and people learn not to work or take responsibility then there is no chance for us to save what remains in the world. I am not bias against it because I dislike people who take advantage of it, but because it might negatively affect the way of thinking of the civilization even more. Living a good life might include having sufficient free time for most. But this cannot be achieved if a person does not even know how to work to achieve his own happiness.