Going beyond the calendar on Labour Day

• The commitment put forth by individuals such as A.E. Goonesinghe, Bala Tampoe, Alfred Ernest Bulgens and Dr. Lisboa Pinto to uplift the lives of workers needs to be remembered at least on May 1, when Sri Lanka commemorates Labour Day

Ever since the 19th Century, exploitation has been the order of the day for Sri Lanka’s working class. But two centuries later, the struggle to obtain better wages and a better standard of living has kept this segment of society on the edge. They are often at the receiving end of multiple crises, be it economic or political, falling from the frying pan into the fire, becoming vulnerable to societal pressure and discrimination with each passing day.   
During the colonial period, labourers, particularly those working in the country’s plantation sector, often had to work for long hours but were paid low wages and were severely disciplined. It was around this time that colonial rulers introduced a system of indentured labour, bringing in workers from South India to work in plantations. These workers from lower castes were trapped in a cycle of debt and forced labour. Fast-forward to the 21st Century, people in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector are still fighting for their own identity. It was only recently that their wages were slightly increased after interventions from local and international civil society organisations. 
While plantation workers languished in plantations in rural areas of the country, urban workers contributed to the development of workers’ struggles. The oldest workers’ struggle in the history of the country, which took the form of an industrial struggle, was the strike of printing workers of H.W. Cave Company. In July 1896, the Colombo Laundrymen went on a fierce strike. In 1898, port workers went on strike due to a reduction in the wages of port carriers. The 1906 Carter’s strike was the first time in the history of the country that workers expressed deep frustration with the ruling elite. The 1912 railway strike is said to be the first major industrial disturbance in Sri Lanka. The Bank of Ceylon Clerks’ Union, founded by A.E. Gunasinghe, launched a general strike in 1946. Likewise, trade unions and workers have launched numerous strikes demanding better salaries for the work that they do. 
The problem of wage discrepancy, insurance, etc., doesn’t end with plantation workers. It has spread like a virus across informal sectors of the country, or the so-called ‘blue-collar’ workers. They are in a daily struggle to make ends meet, often earning a meagre salary to look after a big family. These workers may not have the literacy to understand what the IMF needs in order to rescue the country from its debt trap or complex formulae that have been established to determine the pricing of essential needs. They simply don’t have the time and the resources to understand what happens at a policy level. But they would participate in an election rally or a May Day rally, building castles in the air based on promises given by politicians, only to be disappointed once these politicians are elected to power. This game of blindfolding the public is a cornerstone in the country’s political history. But recent rulers have promised to do away with ‘petty politics’. 
Recently, the Department of Government Census reported that the national poverty line for February 2025 is Rs. 16,318 per individual per month. This figure represents the minimum income required to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and essential services. But it is common knowledge that one could hardly put food on the table, pay school/tuition fees, pay utility bills, rent and spend on medication with a measly amount of Rs. 16,000. 
The commitment put forth by individuals such as A.E. Goonesinghe, Bala Tampoe, Alfred Ernest Bulgens and Dr. Lisboa Pinto to uplift the lives of workers needs to be remembered at least on May 1, when Sri Lanka commemorates Labour Day. The politicisation of May Day rallies has made it difficult to distinguish between a normal election rally and a May Day rally. Expenses spent on organising these rallies should be allocated for something useful, perhaps give a bonus for labourers on Labour Day, but then we all know how government relief schemes were provided in the recent past! May Day should ideally be a day to commemorate ‘Labour Strength’. But their services and rights shouldn’t be forgotten over the next 364 days because they are, in fact, the backbone of the country’s economy!

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