EDITORIAL: A SPECIAL LABOR DAY
May 1, 2024: a work holiday marked by electoral promises
Published on Tuesday April 30, 2024 at 11:22 p.m. | Estimated reading time: 3 min.
Journalist – Editor-in-chief.
BELGIAN
Celebrated since its establishment by the socialist internationalist in 1889 to demand the reduction of working hours to 8 hours of work per day, International Workers’ Day is no longer the prerogative of a single party or a single movement. The May 1st celebration today belongs to all defenders of the world of work and to all those who campaign to improve working conditions. It is a day of mobilization, not only to pay tribute to those who fought for the first demand (8-hour working day) to become a reality, but it is also a moment to remember that the fight is far from over. ‘to be finished and we must not rest on our laurels.
The social gains are certainly there (paid leave, ban on child labor, right to strike, various insurance, freedom of association, occupational health, right to pension, social security, right to unemployment, etc.), but they are subject to difficulties. pressure strokes. The retirement age is constantly being questioned, particularly to take into account life expectancy which continues to improve. The race for productivity and profitability have gradually reduced the rest and break times guaranteed to the worker, aided by new technologies, a situation which has gotten so out of control that at one point it was necessary to decree the right to disconnect to allow the worker to breathe as little as possible.
The May 1 celebration of this year 2024 takes place in a particular climate, marked by political elections (regional, federal, European, municipal) and social elections.
Today, other ills affect workers, notably burn-out (or professional overwork), situations of moral harassment, denigration and psychological manipulation. Work accidents are unfortunately still part of the professional landscape. We must therefore continue the fight to improve working conditions. The fight against the extremes which threaten social cohesion, living together and solidarity also remains a challenge for the world of work.
The May 1 celebration of this year 2024 takes place in a particular climate, marked by political elections (regional, federal, European, municipal) and social elections. Consequently, both political and union actors will monopolize the floor on this day of mobilization of workers and citizens to engage in one-upmanship of promises. They will play to see who promises the most in order to seduce the citizen or the worker with the aim of adding their vote during the various ballots.
Politicians must also provide realistic solutions that ensure the well-being of workers.
In this ocean of promises, we must keep in mind that the commitments that count are those which will reduce unemployment and guarantee decent wages (to prevent workers from finding themselves in a situation of poverty). They must take humans into account. We must also take into consideration the promises that will enrich the skills of workers through continuing training so that they are up to date at all times in order to guarantee them job security (and promotions) or even ensure their reintegration in the event of a hard blow (restructuring, bankruptcy, etc.).
We must not forget that May 1st is also a day to celebrate and to offer lily of the valley to your beloved…
Politicians must also provide realistic solutions that ensure the well-being of workers. For example, it is not because life expectancy is increasing that we must continually increase the retirement age to the point of reaching a situation where the worker will not be able to benefit from a deserved retirement with his family before returning definitively to his final resting place. We must also avoid solutions that shift the burden of financing them onto future generations. But we must not forget that May 1st is also a day to celebrate and to offer lily of the valley to your beloved…
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