Honoring Workers May 1:  Mexican Labor Day Observed

Honoring Workers May 1:  Mexican Labor Day Observed

Tara A. Spears

 May 1 is known as El Dia del Trabajo or El Día de los Trabajadores (Labor Day). It was first celebrated in 1913 in Mexico with a protest march by workers but it was not an official national holiday until 1923.

 Labor Day in Mexico means no government office works. In addition, construction, manufacturing, banks, postal services, and many restaurants close as well.

Labor Day isn’t all rest and relaxation, either- in some areas it is used as a time to peacefully protest against the issues that might arise with whatever company the particular employees work for. There are several labor unions that unite together to protest specifically on this day to get better health benefits, better treatment, etc. You can see different companies protesting on main streets and in front of city halls often on Labor Day in larger cities. Labor Day 2015 shocked the country when a cartel staged a multi-state violent protest against a federal initiative.

The most important thing on this day is to remember that most of the labor rights that exist today came about due to the sacrifices of workers who made demands. The current benefits were obtained thanks to the persistence and struggle of workers throughout the world.