Significance of May Day

Today marks the International Labour Day. This day recalls the labourers' historic struggle and encourages them to be be aware of their rights. The day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement. Every year the workers of the world celebrate this day by holding a number of programmes and taking out procession in the streets. Some of the rights of the workers have been established through protest and agitation. But the full rights of the workers have not been established even today. The workers still have to take to the streets with the demand for certain working hours, minimum wage, and elimination of wage inequality.
Workers are the main driving force of a country. A country can move far forward if all of its workers remain happy with their jobs. But in Bangladesh, we often come across pieces of news highlighting their deprivation and exploitation. The survivors of the Rana Plaza building collapse -- the deadliest industrial disaster in the country's history -- have not yet received their due life-term compensation. Due to the negligence of the employers, many workers often become the victims of workplace accidents like Rana Plaza.
All of our workers need to be careful of their workplace safety. It is necessary to pay attention to their interests, too. We want strict implementation of all the labour laws so that ordinary workers are no longer neglected and deprived of their rights.
Ashikujaman Syed,
Research Assistant,
Bioinformatics Research Lab,
Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),
syedashikujaman@gmail.com