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Labour Day will continue to be celebrated in September, Govt says

Bermuda will continue to celebrate Labour Day in September, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Patrice Minors said today.Several weeks ago the Bermuda Trade Union Congress (BTUC) submitted a request to the Minister and Premier, to consider moving the holiday date to reflect International Workers' Day on May 1.A press statement said that information gathered as a part of a review suggested that the May Day holiday is observed in more than 80 countries and is a day when workers join together in celebrating the labour movement.At the time of the submission, Ms Minors said she wanted to first consult with other key stakeholders for their input before the matter was put before Cabinet.However, based on consultation with the Ministry of Education; the Ministry or Business Development and Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce; the Bermuda Employers Council; the Bermuda Hotel Association; the Association of Bermuda International Companies; the Construction Association of Bermuda; the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers and the Bermuda Industrial Union; and the unquestionable reasons put forth opposing the date change, it was decided to keep the holiday in September.Ms Minors said: “There was strong support for the proposal on behalf of the BTUC. However, it was necessary to seek consultation with those important entities in our community, who also have a vested interest in any change in date of the Labour Day holiday.“While the Trade Union Congress' view is relevant, in that the cultural and historical significance of May 1 represents the legacy of the struggle for equality and fair treatment for workers and workers rights, I had to take a wider and broader view of what kind of effect such a date change could have on our overall economy, our school system, our hoteliers and tourism product and of course our residents. Simply put the negatives outweighed the positives.”