Pay Workers, Respect Rights: A Labour Day Call to Action.
By Peterson Hiirya.
Today, as we join the rest of the world to celebrate International Labour Day, we honor the effort, resilience, and dignity of workers everywhere. It is a moment not only for recognition, but for honest reflection.
Across our country, many leaders and employers are sharing messages that paint a glowing picture of how they value their workers. But for thousands of employees, the reality tells a very different story.
Too many workers continue to endure poor pay, long hours, and unsafe or unfair working conditions. Some are denied basic rights such as leave days, maternity protections, and formal contracts. Others go months without receiving their salaries.
In the worst cases, there are reports of sexual exploitation, harassment, and abuse of power — including demands for favors in exchange for employment or promotion. These practices are not just unethical; they are unacceptable
It is deeply troubling that some of the very individuals who publicly celebrate Labour Day are the same ones failing to meet their obligations to the people who sustain their businesses and institutions.
True leadership is not demonstrated through speeches or social media posts, but through action — through fairness, respect, and accountability.
This is a call to all employers — especially those in positions of influence — to reflect and reform. Pay workers on time. Respect their rights. Provide safe and dignified working environments.
Honor the laws that exist to protect labour. No amount of charity or public generosity can justify neglecting the very people who work for you every day.
We must also strengthen our institutions responsible for labour oversight. Laws alone are not enough if they are not enforced. Workers need safe channels to report abuse without fear of retaliation, and authorities must act decisively against exploitation.
To the public: silence enables injustice. As a society, we must speak up, support workers, and demand accountability from those in power.
On this Labour Day, let it not be just another day of speeches and celebrations. Let it be a turning point — a moment where we commit to real change, where workers are paid what they are owed, treated with dignity, and protected under the law.
A nation’s progress is measured not by the wealth of a few but by the well-being of its workers.
For God and my country
