Happy Labor Day

Yesterday marked the celebration of Labor Day in the United States. For a European, this festivity might seem unfamiliar. Or not. Who knows, but it is unfamiliar to me. The closest celebratory event to this is probably the first of May, even though the histories of those two occasions differ by quite a lot.

The idea of Labor Day sounds funny, since why would you be happy about working for a pay check? It is a funny concept. Most people in general do not like the work they do, but they do it out of the need for a livelihood and money. Of course, if you asked people whether they like their current job or not, many will claim that they do, but once asked if they would keep on working that same job even after becoming rich, many would not do so. At the same time, we are supposed to be happy to be allowed to work, and thus to live. In reality, we are likely just happy that we get paid.

I know Labor day is not supposed to signify just work, but it's also about the workers' rights in the U.S., the forming of unions, and so on. Whereas labor unions definitely have achieved important things in the past, and continue to do so, I dare to claim there are plenty of countries where the situation has actually reversed, and the need for such unions has diminished greatly.

It is funny how things can seem completely different depending on the angle and the overall situation one is looking at them. Nevertheless, I hope you all had a good Labor Day.