The Erosion of Labour Day

The Erosion of Labour Day

May 2, 2026

Last night, I took stock. The day has further eroded. What will stay with me is that Caracasbaai was overcrowded. That, in itself, was not even the main problem. As many as six to eight jet skis were operating beyond the buoys that separate the swimming area from boat traffic. It says a lot about the erosion of our behavior. But I will return to that another time.

The erosion of May 1 is not new. It began with the passing of Mgr. Amado Römer and the discontinuation of live broadcasts of the ceremonies. Once again, it felt like a day without substance.

In the news, I saw a segment on the traditional church service. The priest spoke about a lack of vocation and brain drain. The once-young trade union leader spoke about dignity, arguing that the government and society are neglecting the elderly amid inflation. He also noted that the unions have not been heard by the government.

The minister emphasized the importance of workers and spoke about poverty. Her premise—that poverty is real and that the government provides support—is, however, a major misconception. According to her, greed is the root of all evil, defining the divide between investors and workers.

The government must change the system through reforms of the minimum wage, dismissal laws, the tax system, and other legislation.

I had expected the focus to be on war, geopolitical tensions, and their consequences for labor and workers, including inflation. Poverty should have been addressed in that context as well. And the advance of AI, which not only threatens jobs but also seems to degrade human agency, subjecting it to the superior functioning of artificial systems. Yet none of these issues were meaningfully discussed. Instead, there were many references to Chicago, 1886, and the eight-hour workday.

It was, therefore, a day with limited substance that barely reached the population. It can be better. To begin with, ensure that there is a live broadcast again in 2027. That should be entirely feasible from union resources. Secondly, organize a workshop with experts to strengthen the content. Hopefully, we can halt the erosion.

Miguel Goede