A New May Day

Message Parlour extends its heartiest thanks and good wishes to all of its readers and well wishers on the eve of May Day or also called International Workers’ Day. Way back on May 1,1886 workers won their legal right for eight-hour work day after prolonged struggle. Prior to it they’d to work twelve to fourteen hours daily. Interestingly, although the heart of their movement was in Chicago, May Day is not recognized in United states along with Canada and South Africa.

Perhaps, while not recognizing May Day United States could foresee eight-hour work day might stand in the way of progress of IT and ITes which need just the reverse of what the workers achieved long way back- only eight-hour non-work day. Joke apart, it’s really inhuman to make one do work for inordinately long hours like a robot. Those who can stand the physical stress of long working hours coupled with mental stress of fulfilling target set by the company are fortunate, but the rest are destined to burn out early. They ultimately become mental and physical wreck. At present May Day has no significance, whatsoever, to these ‘human robots’. However, a day may come when these forced workaholics, mostly victim of circumstances and exploited by money power, would rebel en masse against unspecified long working hours and move for a reasonable period of work a day that’s congenial to human system. Hopefully, their employers too would concede to their demand, may be with all reluctance, and a new ‘May Day’ will be born for these white caller personnel.