Editorial
Symbolism of May Day
Let quality of life improve for citizens
The memory of the 1886 Chicago Haymarket bombing and shootings lingers. And because it does, there is the symbolism set off by the assault on the working classes that we observe today along with the rest of the world. In Bangladesh especially, May Day has for decades been a potent hint of how much yet remains to be done in the matter of ensuring the rights of not just industrial workers but also of the struggling masses of the country as a whole. The message on the day is, therefore, loud and clear: the collective happiness of a society is in the end dependent on how society treats its most important means of production, namely, its workers and its peasantry.
It cannot be denied that over the years economic policies have taken a distinctive turn away from the command or mixed economy and towards a free market direction in Bangladesh. The growth of industry, the development of export goods in varied ways, the institution of the micro-credit system have all yielded results which have added substance to the nation's economy. And yet one must raise the question of whether such progress has satisfactorily been reflected in the lives of the working classes. There are still the safeguards, in terms of a healthy workplace environment and job security, that must be in place in ready made garments and in other sectors of the economy. Images of the young toiling away for a pittance at unhealthy factories are yet part of the social scene in this country. The very fact that tens of thousands of our citizens are compelled by economic reasons to seek low-paying, menial jobs in other countries is a broad hint of where we might have stumbled in promoting a society of equality.
May Day has always been a time for a voicing of legitimate demands. Today, let the demand be for a guarantee of all those measures that will improve the quality of life, for workers and peasants, for all citizens of Bangladesh.
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