Imphal | May 1 : Various organisations held May Day or International Workers’ Day observance at different places in Manipur today while honouring labourers.
“The International Workers’ Day symbolises the victory of the working class and marks the celebration of labourers and working class worldwide in an annual event taking place on the 1st of May,” said Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh on Monday in his May Day message.
“It is the day when workers get together and show case their strength which indicates how effectively they can struggle to bring in positive reforms for the working class of the society,” N Biren Singh stated, adding, “This celebration upholds to improve the living conditions of the working class by ensuring the labour rights and giving proper respect to their labour.”
Labour and Employment, Education minister of Manipur, Th. Radheshyam said the May Day celebration is a chance for oneself to retrospect of how far the conditions of the labours as well as the society has improved in the last 130 years since the struggle of 1880s (1886) in Chicago demanding for the 8-hour work day spreading in India and in Manipur in 1939 (under the leadership of Hijam Irabot Singh).
Th Radheshyam was speaking at the May Day celebration at Youth Hostel, Khuman Lampak in Imphal organised by Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Labourers’ Welfare Association under the theme “Securing Decent Work for Sustainable Social – Economic Development”.
Appreciating the celebration of May Day the Minister said, “The celebration would have been more impactful if all the labours of Manipur working in all organised and unorganised sectors were brought together under one umbrella at such function”.
Mentioning the most unfortunate incident of Bhopal gas tragedy, the minister said the labourers need to be aware of all the welfare schemes of health, social security, education, housing, recreation, water supply, etc., provided by the government for the welfare of labourers of the country. Making an announcement of certain plans to organise a Labour Mela in the state the minister said, the fair will be organised with an aim to create awareness on the various central schemes for the welfare of labour.
Highlighting the importance of having labour unions the Minister said, unions have to carry out certain needful work for the welfare of the labourer that plays a major role in the progress of society. The main task for such union should be to address the needful and check the implementation of the government schemes of the labour for the upliftment of those whoever belongs to this class of people who are the enforcer of the development progress of the state, the minister added.
Stating the need to set a target for the upliftment of the working conditions of the working class citizen so that the future does not suffer the hardship like today the Radheshyam said, all the labours and concern authority need to come together to work together to improve the working condition within the minimum time frame. Thus to achieved the goal the Minister said, proper analysis of the prevailing conditions need to be discussed so that a favourable condition or newly implementation if required for the welfare of the labourer be propagated in the state of Manipur.
In another May Day function, Th Shyamkumar, Minister of MAHUD, Town Planning, Forests and Environment, Horticulture and Soil Conservation appealed to the citizens of Manipur especially the youths not to be ashamed while taking up any kind of work.
Shyamkumar made this appeal while gracing the ‘10th Foundation Day cum May Day Celebration’ which was organised by the Kanglei Economic Development Organisation (KEDO) at the Khwairamband Ima Keithel, Imphal today.
Source: The Morung Express
