Every year on May 1, people from all over the world celebrate Labour Day (or May Day, as it is called in India). The idea is to gain as much from this day as one can for oneself. But, what no one does is think about what this day truly stands for. There are countless problems which are being faced by our labourers in our society such as poverty, illiteracy, food and water crises. A vast majority of our labourers and daily-wage workers remain outside the field of labour laws, which means that workers have no paid holidays, no job security, no medical coverage, no pension or provident fund, no limit on working hours and are paid no overtime.
In India with all this, there is also an issue of child labour. Child labour in India is growing at a disturbing rate. Hundreds and thousands of children struggle to achieve their basic necessities of life. Children are the future of any country and we should all work to help them become better people. Child labour is a very complex problem with its root in the socio-economic environment of the country. The children suffer from lack of education and health facilities and better employment.
Jubel D'Cruz,
Mumbai, India
