CONSUMER CONCERNS...LABOUR DAY AND IMMIGRATION DAY CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM

CONSUMER CONCERNS…LABOUR DAY AND IMMIGRATION DAY CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM

May 07, 2017 News

PAT DIAL

Last week, the first week of the Month of May, two important national holidays were celebrated – Labour Day and Indian Immigration Day. Both holidays have a consumer import – Labour Day affirms and encourages the solidarity of working people. Indian Immigration Day marks the advent of the ancestors of more than half the population of Guyana. Both groups have not only increased the consumer population but have presented novel problems to consumer advocates.
In Europe, from the 19th Century, Labour Day was commemorated by working people and soon earned an international status. In Guyana, May Day was celebrated from the early 19th Century but it was associated with the ancient English festival celebrating the coming of the warmer months. Plaiting the maypole and crowning of the May Queen were two of the well-known customs of May Day.
When Trade Unionism became established in Guyana, contact with the International Trade Union Movement was strengthened and Guyanese Unionism adopted many of the customs, symbols, and organizational methods of the International Movement such as the colour Red, the songs “Internationale” and “Solidarity Forever”, addressing union members as “Brother or Comrade” and engaging in parades and first of May, which was known as “Labour Day”, the older term “May Day” going out of currency.
Trade Unionism was able to improve the wages and conditions of service of working people, improving their standard of living and allowing for greater consumer spending. And there grew up a quiet respect between Trade Unionism and Consumerism.
Unionism grew so strong that it began to attract the attention of political parties and politicians and was able to wield influence in the corridors of Governmental power achieving minimum wage legislation, more favorable income tax conditions, a large number of positive social legislation and even having first of May, the International Labour Day made a public holiday on which marches and worker solidarity could be affirmed.
But the Union Movement being closely associated with political parties and politicians was a doubled-edge sword for soon politics infiltrated and over took the movement and the unions began to support the views of political parties often acting against real worker interest.
This projection of party politics into the Unions was a divisive force and so weakened working class unity.
Union membership began to see Unions as appendages to various political parties and so their enthusiasm and support for unions waned.
The Union Movement is now faced with the formidable task of bringing about unity among themselves and a complete commitment to worker interest and Consumerism would be supportive of sincere worker efforts to achieve such unity. It should be mentioned that the Constitution of the Guyana Consumers. Association from its earliest years has barred practising politicians from serving on any of its committees and cannot take partisan political positions in any of its activities.
Indian Immigration Day commemorates the arrival of the first Indian Indentured servants to Guyana. They were imported to the colony to supply labour to the sugar industry which had lost most of its labour force on the final Emancipation of the slaves in 1838 at the end of the Apprenticeship system. This Immigration reconfigured Guyanese Society in a very radical way. New cultures, new foods, new ways of doing things in general were introduced. With this Immigration, the country’s population increased and the World’s three major religions Hinduism, Islam and Christianity found themselves living close together in amity and Guyanese people now has as part of their national ethos the recognition that all religions are valid and all ways lead to God. This approach to religion places Guyana in a unique and enviable position in the world. All new infusions and changes to society bring with them new challenges.
And some of these challenges present new Consumer problems which Consumer advocates willingly address. We therefore welcome the diversity and pluralism of our society and were happy to celebrate the two holidays.

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CONSUMER CONCERNS…LABOUR DAY AND IMMIGRATION DAY CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM

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CONSUMER CONCERNS…LABOUR DAY AND IMMIGRATION DAY CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM

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