Today (May 01) marks the International Workers’ Day.
May 01 commemorates the 1886 protest in Chicago’s Haymarket Square where workers demanding an eight-hour workday were met with gunfire. The Second International, convened in 1889, later declared May 1 as International Workers’ Day to honour those who lost their lives in that struggle.
In his official May Day message, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayake has called on the country’s workers to stand in solidarity during this period whether country is undergoing political and economic transformation.
“As we restore and reform an economy devastated by decades of corrupt politics, I warmly invite our beloved working people to join hands in solidarity, to rise with determination and to strive towards building ‘a beautiful life and a thriving nation’ for everyone. On this occasion, I offer my heartfelt best wishes for a meaningful International Workers’ Day — one that reaffirms the rights and dignity of all working people,” he has said.
According to the police, at least 15 May Day processions, commemorative events and rallies are scheduled to be held in Colombo today and police have also implemented special security measures and a traffic plan.
Meanwhile, the Excise Department has announced that retail liquor sales outlets functioning within divisional secretariat areas where May Day events are being organised, will remain closed today.
