International Workers' Day 2020: History, significance and how it is celebrated

Every year, May 1 is celebrated as International Labor Day or May Day. In India, this day is also called Kamgar Din or Antarrashtriya Sharmik Diwas in Hindi. As per reports, the history of this day dates back to the 19th century, when revolutions took place in the United States. It was during the rise of industrialization that the labour-class was oppressed to the point of having to take a stand.

In India, Labour Day was first started in Chennai in the year 1923 by Hindustan's Labour Kisan Party. This day was started to give the workers a national holiday on May 1. International Labour Day is also known as ‘Maharashtra Day’ and ‘Gujarati Day’ in honour of the day these two states gained statehood on linguistic lines.

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History of May Day

With the rise of industrialisation in the 19th century, the workers were asked to work for 15 hours a day. On May 1, 1886, the U.S. labour union voted to go on a strike demanding a decrease in working hours from 15 hours to 8 hours.

The workers also asked paid holidays, fair salaries and breaks during the working hours. Following the incident was a bomb blast in Chicago which resulted in several casualties. Although the strike did not have an immediate impact, it helped in many parts of the world, including India, to create an 8-hour working day. It also reported that there are different stories in most of the countries with regards to May Day but the main purpose of the day remains the same.

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How is May Day celebrated?

It is celebrated as a national holiday in India, and people celebrate the achievements of workers. The day also reflects on the hard work put into their jobs by the staff and how they work as a team to accomplish a common goal.

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