Celebration

Nowadays, when we start work at most places, we get 35-40 hours per week, statutory holidays, 2 weeks’ vacation, and we’re paid at least the minimum wage. This is what every worker can count on. However, it was not always like this. In the past, people were sent to jail and some even died while they fought for these rights.

While Labour Day is just a holiday for some people to spend time with family and friends, people who have some connection with unions use this as a day to pay tribute to the ones who lost their lives or freedom. And they do this by looking at what has already been accomplished and at the things that they still need to fight for. They use parades and picnics to remind everybody that the guaranteed rights that we have now were not always there.  And most importantly, that the people who come after us will have better working conditions and better lives too.

Labour Day is a statutory holiday to remind everybody about all the battles that workers have conquered and to make sure that we haven't forgotten the work that they did to get better working conditions. That is the meaning of Labour Day for me.