International Workers' Day (2015 edition)

[Charlotte Ryberg]

To bring back a International Workers' Day thread from 2013 (viewtopic.php?f=23&t=239143) would amount to gravedigging because the last reply was on 4 May 2013, so in good faith I have decided to start again in order to picture the world's view on International Workers' Day. I am thinking about starting a tradition of asking about International Workers' Day every 1 May because I maintain a NSindex article about it: it could be interesting.

The question is simply: does your country celebrate this? If so, how? If not, why?

This year, I am interested about how anti-unionist governments react to International Workers' Day, because I am interested in reading about authoritarian and corporatist policies.

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International Workers' Day is called Labour Day in Minoa, and it is a public holiday. Apart from the usual parades and rallies, the highlight is that the Empress of Minoa, currently Helena, delivers a televised address that is orientated towards the ethos of the organised labour movement and social justice: this year (MT) the speech will be longer because of the tragedy in Nepal and she will recognise the efforts of volunteers and humanitarian aid agencies to help the victims.

The original theme was going to be just about the importance of public services (in reference to the controversial TTIP), and this will still be shown. She had to redo the whole speech in one take, in response to the tragedy in Nepal, because she wanted to wanted to add a bit about how well-funded public services is important to help disaster response.

[Greater Axis Germany]

Yes, Workers and children are free from duty and gets a week holiday. during this period workers have time to spend with their families

[United Russian Soviet States]

It is a national holiday here. We have a big May Day parade in Moscow.

[Lutheran Kingdom]

Yes, but only some schools (not to many) has international labor day off. And our Senate but not our house.

[Frenequesta]

Frenequesta celebrates their Labor Day on May 1 like many other countries. In a country where corporations are required to host an independent union for the majority of their non-management workers, this is naturally a significant holiday. It also has broader political significance for Freneq-Joplinian history, as it was the day (in 2112) that then-president of Joplinia-Lambscott Richard Yves-Carter ordered an immediate break-up and reduction of power of the "OmniBusinesses" that had dominated the country both economically and politically and were in general not friendly to worker's rights, when earlier legislation and antitrust enforcement had been thwarted. (This order made him briefly unpopular and cost him the next election since many at the time believed that he overstepped his executive power, but won the next election after his successor failed to make progress breaking up the businesses, and break-ups became more frequent and better-enforced.)

There is no set protocol on how Labor Day is celebrated. Often the Minister Advisor and President will give a special speech in honor of the worker, and the mayors of the major cities do the same. Worker cooperatives often have the day off, and some corporations will pay their employees double or close their offices and factories early. Many corporations also use this day to renegotiate union contracts. In addition, many people often go out to watch a parade or have a cookout.

[Nocturnalis]

No, we do not celebrate such petty frivolity. Workers work and get paid, that's it.

As an aside, Unions do not exist in Nocturnalis as the Realm has never needed them.

[Tolmakia]

Tolmakia celebrates labor day, but has no specific traditional way to celebrate it. The day is a holiday for most, including banks. Events may be celebrated in the Meddli Square.

[Errades]

The first day of May is a bank holiday in Errades but only because it is our national day; the Erradesi find the concept of a day celebrating the workers' labour by giving them a day off utterly ridiculous and laughable. Perhaps the public sentiment towards these festivities would be slightly different if the day weren't a free day anyway.

[Liberty and Alderney]

It is celebrated here with people getting into gunfights while shitfaced, but recently business owners are lobbying the government to reign in on the holiday. So far their attempts have been unsuccessful.

[Arachnid Industries]

Arachnid Industries, its subsidiaries, and all local branches give all employees a paid day off on May 1st, regardless of whether the day is recognized as a holiday by the host nation itself. Arachnid Industries does not open branches in nations that try to regulate its internal decisions, including nations that try to stop it from providing this paid day off. Such nations are likely to nationalize our assets and are not worth investing in.

[Novus Niciae]

We have flexible holidays where people can take time off work so there is no official may day holiday. But a lot of people take this day off.

There is a parade and a fair in the evening and it is generally considered to be a good night out for all the family.

[The Northern Kingdoms]

Yes we do, in May 1st.

Workers and schoolpeople are given a day-long break. However, many businesses remain open for the sake of profit.

[Tarterros]

International Workers' Day, or Labour Day as we know it, is not celebrated in May. It is instead the last Friday of August, also signalling the traditional start of harvest season.

While Tarterros is not exactly anti-unionist in the way the original poster asked about, the economic structure of Tarterros is extremely open. So even though unions exist, membership is voluntary outside of the public service.

[Kenzinia]

International Workers' Day in Kenzinia are celebrated every 1st May. It is an official holiday and everyone gets a day off from work, school, or whatever they are doing. Festivals and parades are held in every major city, and the President may give a speech in front of the press.

Occasionally, a riot may occur (like in 1989, 1993 and 1994), and the Riot Police were sent to deal with the protests. To cope with this, since 1998 all companies must give their employees 5% extra salary for two months (May and June).

Civic venue, service, and emergency service employees takes a way shorter shift. The other shifts will be filled in by volunteers.

[Fatatatutti]

Every day is Workers' Day in Fatatatutti.

[Thervingia]

Due to Thervingia's quite woeful history with the Soviet Union, the Workers' Day is not exactly celebrated here.