President Barzani calls for modern labor law on Workers' Day
Shafaq News/ Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday called for enacting a modern and advanced labor law that secures "a suitable work environment and a better life for workers and their families".
The call came in a statement congratulating workers on the occasion of International Workers' Day, which falls on May 1st.
"On May 1st, International Workers' Day, I extend my warmest congratulations to all workers in Kurdistan, Iraq, and the world," President Barzani said in his statement. "I salute their hardworking hands and wish them peace, prosperity, and dignity."
"While I look with appreciation and gratitude to the efforts and toil of the workers and their active role in the process of reconstruction and construction, I emphasize my continued support for all their rights and legitimate demands," he added, stressing "the need for a modern and advanced law that guarantees a suitable work environment and a better life for the hardworking working class and their families."
On this occasion, President Nechirvan Barzani urged "trade unions and labor organizations to work hard and make more efforts to secure and protect the rights of workers and ensure equal opportunities in employment. The authorities should also provide care for the families of workers who have died during work and pay attention to improving their living conditions."
May 1st is International Workers' Day, an occasion celebrated by workers around the world, through which they demand their rights.
The story of International Workers' Day began in Australia, where workers began to go on demonstrations on April 21, 1856, to demand an 8-hour workday. The demonstrations continued every year on that day to achieve this demand.
On May 1, 1886, more than 340,000 Americans declared a strike, and workers' protests were attacked by police forces on May 4 in the city of Haymarket, which resulted in the loss of many workers' lives.
In 1889, the International Workers' Conference was held, attended by 400 delegates, and a decision was issued to set an 8-hour workday.
The conference approved a proposal by French worker Lafargue, a representative of the city of Bordeaux, to set May 1st as International Workers' Day, and celebrations began on that day from 1890 to this day.
This day has become part of the culture of all countries of the world.
