By Chaudhary Sandeep Datta
Another International Labour Day (May 1) is passing on but most of us are working in office as usual, feeling nothing different even on this day! For some people around the world or activists, in particular, the day may be an occasion to celebrate the revolution, which brought in practice the eight-hour schedule for all. But for most of us, it's not any different day. Isn't it?
It's nothing new if one has to say that to the present-day workers it holds barely any meaning. The reason being, nobody bothers.
But it's interesting to notice the day, which belongs to most of us, is never given even a single thought by us!
Despite having joined the service sector for long or just recently, it's likely not many of us may have bothered to learn about the significance of Labour Day.
Before knowing about this May Day through its history, we must realise it's about us. It's about the assertion of office-goers, daily wagers or labourers.
It's about being one voice or a united force to state that we deserve a better and respectful treatment as any human being on earth.
The over-hyped reason of recession and the threat to be made a victim of lay-off any day has created an unprecedented scare among almost every office-goer across India.
Everyone knows but not many can share it with the family. It's been made traumatising in different degrees for the servicemen to lose interest in their work and perform in peace.
There is a hanging sword on everyone's neck to be asked to put in his or her papers and live with the ignominy of being tagged 'incapable' in job.
The companies are making the most of the persisting hullabaloo about recession time, which is widely being stated not going to end very soon. Hence, it's been used as a good reason to push workers to take up more than they can physically or mentally afford.
Be it the fake competitions among the staffers and pushing of everyone to the brink of giving up on medical or any other grounds, is nothing but a fabricated presentation of extra workload.
The bosses, pressed to deliver more and justify their heavy-packaged salaries, have started putting unwanted and unjustifiable workload on their colleagues.
The more the bosses know about the compulsions of workers' reason to work and need of money, the more he or she is exploited today. There is no code of ethics in execution which may prevent such a wide scale injustice.
Everyone wishes but nobody dares to raise one's voice loud n' clear to question what's bugging their peace of mind constantly and pushing them to alcoholism, smoking, irritating mood or other suicidal tendencies.
The courts know it all but nobody is paying attention.
We all know everyone deserves humane treatment at work place. One cannot be treated as stray animals on the street. But, sadly, most of the people in jobs are treated nothing better than that in one way or the other. And, they have to abide by it with a face-saving smile.
After all it's a matter of sustaining one's family, especially the kids.
It's not exaggeration if one has to state that today's workforce is being made to work as educated slaves, who have to abide by anything and everything their immediate bosses' orders.
Even if everyone is supposed to deliver to the organisations' goal, the way workers are being compelled to deliver results is growing harsher with each passing day.
Today, individuals in offices don't work with the kind of justified freedom that workers deserve.
Labour Day is not just a reason to talk secretly about demanding holiday, but it's a day to realise workers' rights and be united and inter-linked. For, united we stand, divided we fall.
Historically, Labour Day Parade in Toronto in the early 1900s---The celebration of Labour Day has its origins in the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.
On April 21, 1900 Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne, Australia, stopped work and marched from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour day.
Their direct action protest was a success, and they are noted as the first organized workers in the world to achieve an eight-hour day with no loss of pay, which subsequently inspired the celebration of Labour Day and May Day.
Chaudhary Sandeep Datta
Posts
