Labor Day: day off, action day or commemoration?

At Stroomversnellers, this means it’s a day off, and we’ll be heading to the FNV demonstration at Museumplein. And honestly, for us, walking around at a demonstration also feels a bit like work.

Labor Day is celebrated in many countries as a day to honor the enormous achievements of the labor movement and to remember the murder of anarchist union organizers in Chicago in 1886. May 1st began as an international day of action for the 8-hour workday, much like the environmental movement has April 22nd, the feminist movement has March 8th, and the anti-racism movement has March 21st. Now, a 9-to-5 job seems like a given, but it was fought and struck for fiercely over a long time including here in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, Labor Day has never been an official public holiday, and the royal family’s King’s Day on April 30th has long overshadowed its popularity. Most workers had to sleep off a hangover on May 1st. The feeling that the struggle was already won, and that it was just an old-fashioned celebration for social democrats, didn’t help either.

This year, Labor Day is not just a commemoration, the FNV is calling it a day of action against the government’s plans. With cuts to healthcare and benefits, rising rents, and an increased retirement age, there’s plenty to take to the streets for.

At Stroomversnellers, we give our team the option to take the day off and join the FNV demonstration. We won’t hold any meetings or send out communications that day.

Will we see you at the demonstration?

• 1:30 PM – Gather for the march at Museumplein
• 2:00 PM – March begins
• 3:30 PM – Arrival at Martin Luther King Park
• 4:00 PM – Park program starts at Martin Luther King Park