May, 6, 2024
Labourers are skilled or unskilled persons who work in plantations, services or factories. They are wage earners who’s only possession of significant material value is their labour (Ref. Labour analysis). In (many) countries with multi party politics they are used to ignite conflicts using financial & social reasons such as caste. It’s not clear if the workers are aware of it but in developed capitalist states & socialist states workers seem matured & less violent resulting in fast economic development through FDIs. In SL from 1930s Labour Day was used to show party strength to the opponents using the head counts.
Since 2024 is an election year such feelings seems stronger. It is not clear if SL electorate foresee the value of minimizing social violence to minimize economic drawbacks. President Premadasa remembered on the May Day is a good case study for Human Resource analysts to learn how to manage SL worker attitudes to ensure industrial growth. During his rule with President Ranil as the Industries Minister (1989 – 93) SL recorded high economic growth (7% Ref. CBSL) whilst facing the armed violence of JVP & the LTTE.
Can those who display higher head counts at the May Day rally steer the economy out of the crisis? Is the electorate still immature & selfish? Will they allow crafty politicians to keep them violent giving space to SL’s competitors? With social media such attempts are becoming more difficult. Social media reported many methods used by political parties to bring people to May Day rallies. Among them was a ticket sold to the supporters with so called socialist ideologies.
May Day ticket sales in Socialist China
In 2019 Socialist China extended the May Day holiday from one to four days. Within 30 minutes of the announcement trip searches & bookings surged approx 50% on Ctrip's (China’s biggest online travel agency). Approx 150 million trips were made during the period. In 2024 Chinese railway managed approx 21.7 million passenger trips on May Day. It was a record single-day high (Ref CSRG). Approx 270 million trips through both private & public transportation have taken place during the day. The Beijing International Airport handled nearly 920,000 passenger trips in 5800 flights (21% increase YoY) during the May Day holiday (May 1 – 5th). The number of international ticket bookings departing on May Day increased by 20% compared to 2019. Air ticket bookings to Saudi Arabia & Egypt increased by approx. 300%, travels to the UAE, Türkiye & Qatar has increased by approx 50% & travelling to EU has increased by 200% (Ref Chinese transport stats).
Cinemas across China performed well during the May Day holiday. On 1st May Cinema income reached USD 43.5 million (Ref China stats). All above indicates that stability in Socialist China is allowing workers to enjoy life rather being used for violent acts resulting in economic drawbacks. Why can’t Sri Lankan workers enjoy the day ensuring peace & stability? Will they continue to bay on the May Day? If so what about economic stability?
If all one billion of us undertake multiparty elections, we will run into a civil war, taking precedence over all China’s problems is stability – Deng Xiaoping
Photo: Tourists visit a national wetland park in Xinghua, Jiangsu Province on May 1, 2024 (Ref. China media).
(Views expressed are personal).
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