We Remember Because …
Each and every year we commemorate May Day as it provides a reminder of the struggles that workers have taken to strive for their rights and seek justice for themselves, their families and workers throughout the world.
Regrettably, we also have to mark it as a prompt to continue seeking for rights and justice that have still to be realised. Sadly and shamefully many of the hard won gains that contributed to a better working life in the past, have over the years been overturned or completely undone. At the same time we face new challenges as different ways of working again undermine our dignity, rights and justice.
Whilst May Day 2021 helps to focus our minds on particular worker issues that we now confront it also reminds us of the International dimension. Realities that we experience, perhaps, to different degrees or played out in different scenarios or even presenting greater challenges are mirrored internationally. Our situations hold resonance globally and thus keeps us in solidarity with working women and men across seas and continents.
The Pandemic …
The pandemic and its consequences certainly give us pause for thought. Apart from the tragic loss of life the future repercussions in terms of the health, wellbeing, social and economic situation of workers remains unknown.
There are those whose mental and physical health has been affected by the lockdowns; by the health aftermath like ‘long-covid’. There are those who did not receive medical treatment for other health related issues. At the height of the pandemic the shortage of staff and resources resulted in lengthy waits for necessary procedures affecting people’s quality of life. For others, they may be paying the price of having waited for far too long and it is now all too late.
There Are Those Lacking Security …
There are particular groups of people, sections of the population, who will feel the impact of unemployment, underemployment, and insecure work more than most. There are the underlying effects from such economic realities in terms of a lack of social security in all its forms.
In reality there are too many ‘there are those’ whose lives will experience and suffer the consequences of poverty. ‘The Pandemic through our Eyes’, an MCW seminar, highlighted the situation of those already living in poverty. Many were earning their own poverty because of the low wage economy and the austerity measures faced over the decades. The pandemic only served to bring to light this reality and worse still exacerbated and intensified the number, degree and level of poverty families were experiencing.
Intensity of Poverty …
Our knowledge of the various aspects of poverty was broadened, child, food, digital, education, fuel, in truth it is by any other name, poverty. ‘Poverty is all-pervading; it permeates all aspects of living’ (Issue 74 February 2021). Too many workers knew this already, others not previously recognising the extent or gravity of a lack of protection from poverty have now found out the hard way about the enormity of its existence in and on their lives.
Invitation to See, Judge, Act …
May Day, International Workers Day, is not just a celebration of past victories; not just a reminder of the current reality; it is an invitation to maintain and continue to educate ourselves as to the reality of workers whatever or wherever they are. We are invited to analyse the underlying, the root causes, of the circumstances workers’ face. It is an invitation to try and seek to change where change is needed; it is a call to search for justice wherever it is necessary; it is a call to hear the Easter message of transformation for ourselves and other workers in this country and worldwide.
St Joseph the Worker, sustain us in our mission to workers
The theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is ‘Choose to Challenge’.
“Je me Souviens”*,
