Lucknow : On the occasion of International Labour Day, National Secretary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Anupam Mishra, marked the day by interacting with labourers and sharing a morning tea and breakfast with them. Addressing a gathering of workers, Mishra emphasized that May 1 stands as a symbol of struggle and recognition of workers’ rights across the world.
“This day reminds us to protect workers’ rights, honour their contributions, and ensure a better working environment,” he said, recalling the historic significance of the day.
Mishra noted that Labour Day, also known as May Day, is celebrated globally to acknowledge the efforts of hardworking and dedicated individuals. “It is a symbol of solidarity, social justice, and the ongoing struggle for labour rights,” he added.
He reflected on the historic Haymarket incident of May 1, 1886, in Chicago, where thousands of workers demanded an eight-hour workday. “Though the movement turned violent, its echoes were heard around the world. This incident laid the foundation for the recognition of May 1 as International Labour Day,” Mishra said.
He also recalled that in India, Labour Day was first observed in 1923 in Chennai, initiated by Communist leader Singaravelu Chettiar, with the first public meeting held in front of the Madras High Court demanding workers’ rights.
“We all know that no country can progress unless its foundation is strong — and that foundation is laid by our labour force,” said Mishra.
Whether it is road construction workers, building labourers, farmers, factory workers, small shopkeepers or sanitation workers — every labourer contributes to society’s progress in their own unique way, he noted.
He urged people to reflect on the often-invisible labour that supports daily life. “When you wake up in the morning, the milkman, the newspaper vendor, the sanitation worker — they have all already completed their duties. Everything we consume and rely on, from electricity to water to transport and food, is possible only due to the efforts of countless workers,” he pointed out.
However, Mishra also expressed concern that many labourers in India still lack access to basic rights. “There are places where working hours are unfair, child labour persists, fair wages are denied, health insurance benefits are unavailable, and women labourers face discrimination,” he said.
He stressed that Labour Day must not be treated as a mere formality but as a reminder that every task — no matter how big or small — is valuable, and that every worker deserves dignity and respect.
Concluding his address, Anupam Mishra dedicated a poem by Kedarnath Agarwal to the workers:
“Those who break rocks will shape life,
Fearlessly bending the course of Bhagirathi’s stream.
This sacred labour, this strength,
Is the true fire of our nation’s progress.”
