This International Work’s Day, learn some vocabulary and follow the links to learn about the origins of this day.
- May Day – Also known as International Worker’s Day, on the 1st of May, traditionally celebrates the beginning of spring (click here to learn more) and now marks a day to honor those that fought for the 8-hour work day and other worker’s rights. Learn more by clicking here.
- Since May Day falls on a Saturday this year, we won’t get a day off from work, but we will celebrate it by remembering how grateful we are to have strong worker’s rights.
- Protest / Demonstration– both words describe an event where people show a strong complaint against something by standing somewhere, shouting, carrying signs, etc.
- Every Friday, the pensioners protest in front of the Parliament building to demand their rights.
- There is another demonstration programmed for this Friday.
- Riots – an event where a large number of people behave in a noisy, violent and uncontrolled way in public, usually occurring at a protest.
- The peaceful protest quickly turned to riots when the police began to use force.
- To go on strike – to refuse to continue working because of an argument with an employer usually about working conditions, pay, job loss, etc.
- The employees went on strike last week and will not return to work until they are promised the over-time they deserve.
- Unions – short for Trade Union – is an organization that represents the people who work in a particular industry by protecting their rights and working conditions, discussing their pay, etc.
- Since the employers did not seem to pay any attention to the union‘s demands, they are organizing a strike.
- anarchism – a political belief that people should freely work together and rely very little on formal or governmental organization to society.
- People often believe that without strong rules and regulations there would be anarchism, but our employees are quite good with setting their own time schedules while still doing their work as needed.