World Labour Day is celebrated across the world in commemoration of those who made sacrifices to protect their rights and overcame challenges. In commemoration of these sacrifices, approximately 20 rallies are to be held within Colombo and other towns.
In the 1880s in the United States and in Germany working conditions often were dismal and dangerous, and wages were low and the workers had to work for long hours. On May 4th 1886, a protest rally demanding 8 hours work near Chicago’s Haymarket Square turned into a riot due to Police obstructions and at nine people died and several others were injured as a result of Police shooting turning the Haymarket Square into a pool of blood.
The first international May Day held in 1890 was a spectacular success, and in about two dozen European cities demonstrations and rallies were held in Cuba, Peru and Chile. Commemoration of May Day became an annual event in many countries from the following year.
In Sri Lanka when the Left parties and Trade Unions demanded the 1952 UNP government to declare May Day (May 1st) as a National Holiday the then Minister of Finance J.R.Jayawardene vehemently rejected this demand and said that it is an alien concept and we do not need to celebrate alien Holidays. Declaring May Day as a Holiday was one of the first acts carried out by the populist government of the late Prime Minister Mr. S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike in 1956. Since then the working population of Sri Lanka, the Trade Unions and Political parties have been holding May Day processions and May Day rallies and it had been held in some years under much repression.
This year too 3 major May Day rallies have been organized in the country in addition to some other rallies being organized by fringe political parties. The main opposition (the joint opposition), trade unions and other opposition groups opposed to the government will be held at the Lalith Athulathmudali grounds at Kirillopane, the United National Party at Campbell Park in Colombo and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s pro-government groups (the Darley Road SLFP) at the Butterfly Gardens in Galle. The three groups are making extensive arrangements to draw much crowd to their rallies.
