Every year, due to the Vallenato Festival, it has become customary that in Valledupar the date of Labor Day does not have the same significance that it has in other cities in the country.
In other times, in our capital, May 1st coincided with the closing, at dawn, of our maximum folkloric event, but this time the commemoration of this day takes place during these festivities and, of course, that lowers the participation in the labor march.
In any case, independent of the Festival, a good sector marched coordinated by Aducesar, Fecode, among other labor organizations.
Other nuances are relevant in 2024 at the national level, all due to the contrast that President Gustavo Petro wanted to instill in this labor march compared to the demonstrations held against his government on April 21.
While, on the one hand, the president directed in his favor the meaning of the traditional labor marches on May 1, a sector of the board of directors of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), through his ‘X’ account, He stated that “the united union centers choose President Gustavo Petro in our march on May 1. Gustavo Petro will be the first president in history to march with the workers on May 1.”
However, the president of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), Miryam Triana, announced that another sector of the union center that she leads would not take to the streets on May 1. “We have been demanding the rights of workers for 138 years and not of the presidents of the Republic. And for example, for us it is essential to talk about the things that are happening with the workers and in that scenario where he is going to speak, on the stage, he is not going to talk about the problems of the workers such as the issue of unemployment, of all layoffs that have occurred, of all the situations that we workers are facing. We believe that if he has many political scenarios to work with, he could have perfectly chosen any other day of the 365 days of the year, but not May 1. It was taken on May 1, which is an emblematic day for workers in the world, workers march to claim their rights and not to defend any Government,” said the union leader.
The National Government’s argument was based on the fact that citizens should take to the streets to support the reforms that are being processed in the Congress of the Republic.
What cannot be lost sight of is the validity of Labor Day.
Above all, the essential importance of workers in all sectors must prevail. From professionals in different areas to supermarket employees, delivery drivers, and many others, the work of these individuals is essential to keep our societies functioning and the concept of the 20th century worker has been revalidated by new jobs, habits, forms and new jobs resulting from technology.
The lack of social protection, insufficient salaries, job insecurity, industrial safety, work and leisure hours, presence, the gender perspective are problems that still need to be addressed.