臺北市新住民專區網站英文版

Labour Day has its roots in the United States back in 1886, when the country was moving from an agricultural society to an industrial one. At that time, workers were putting in extremely long hours—sometimes 14 or 15 hours a day, even working on Saturdays. In response, the American Federation of Labour called for a nationwide strike starting on May 1, demanding an eight-hour workday. Sadly, the strike was met with police violence, and many workers were injured or killed during the protests.

To commemorate this historical event, the Second International Congress in Paris in 1889 passed a resolution to establish May 1 as International Workers' Day. The goal was to unite workers from around the world in the struggle for the eight-hour workday.

In Taiwan, May 1st is officially designated as Labour Day, a public holiday for workers. However, certain groups are not granted a holiday on this day, such as military personnel, government officials, employees, and faculty members at primary and secondary schools. Certain medical professionals (such as doctors not employed under public servant laws) and company managers may also be excluded from the holiday, depending on their employment status.