NLC, TUC To Decide May Day Celebration After Sallah Celebration

For the first time in the history of the May Day festival in Nigeria, the Organised Labour will choose today whether to maintain the May Day festival on Sunday or Monday following the fate of Eid-El-Fitr (Sallah) celebration.
Globally, May Day, otherwise understood as Workers’ Day is maintained every May 1, to among others, observe the riot and killing of workers in 1886 at hay Market Square, Chicago, USA, during the labor for eight hours per day and 40 hours per week normal working hours.

Nevertheless, this year’s extravaganza in Nigeria that ordinarily should harbor on Sunday, May 1 stands now hinged on the sighting of the new moon by Muslim heads which will decide the day for the Sallah festival and consequently, May Day celebration.
According to Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, if the new moon is seen on Saturday, that means Sallah celebration will be held on Sunday,
and the May Day celebration will be moved
to Monday, 2rd of May . If the new moon is not seen before Sunday, then the May Day celebration will harbor on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

A circular Seen by Glamcodemedia from TUC to its companions,
reads; “The May Day Festival of this year cannot be specific
due to the Sallah celebration that overlaps with the May Day event. Thus, the two Labour Centres unanimously decided to celebrate the occasion as follows: If Sallah falls on Sunday 1st of May, the May Day occasion choice be on Monday 2nd of May.

Nonetheless, if Sallah falls on Monday 2nd of May, then May Day choice be on the 1st of May as expected

The NLC in a circular to its state representatives dated April 27, 2022, and inscribed by its General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja gave parallel declaration.

Giving discernment into the determination
by NLC’s CWC to
move the May Day celebration to Monday if Sallah celebration descends on Sunday, A Labour leader at the CWC’s conference said on condition of obscurity that “We had better than two hours discussion on it because you know religion is a
very acute problem in Nigeria.

This year’s Sallah seems to overlap with the May Day occasion. The Muslim brothers told us that the Sallah is not about going to the Mosque to pray on Friday or any different day, but that they have special areas selected for Sallah prayers.

they told us that the Sallah is like their Christmas where they put on their finest clothes among the rest . And after one month of fasting, on the Sallah day, they cannot put on May Day clothes or even come for May Day protests if the Sallah falls on this Sunday, which is May 1. In other terms, many of them may not come at all for the May Day marches.

Yet, some Labour heads are booting against the agreement, saying “This is very uncomfortable and disconnected. We cannot remain until 30th April before concluding or telling members on the date of the revelry.
The governors and government
administrators ought to be invited and renditions for the
forum of the celebration and others have to be made in advancement.
“So remaining until 30th April to complete a conclusion on the date is not profitable”, a labour head groaned. Another labour leader questioned, “you want people to be in Abuja, for how numerous days and who will foot the expenscis ? What about South-East where they maintain a sit-at-home rally every Monday?
“Are they going to move the May Day celebration to Tuesday for workers in those places? We should sidestep this bizarre and risky precedent of getting religious beliefs into labour issues because it may reverse in the future. May Day is not a Nigerian affair, but everywhere.”