May Day (otherwise known as Labour Day), commemorated all around the world on May 1st, has its history from the 1886 demonstration in Chicago where workers campaigned through a massive strike for an eight-hour workday. This spirit in using the day as a special occasion to claim for better working conditions has been traditionally continued in modern May Day celebrations.

In Malaysia, the struggle for recognition of this day as a public holiday began since the 1950s by the working class through strikes and demonstrations. In 1972, the government finally declared May 1st as a public holiday, giving it due acknowledgement as a day for workers. However, it was only after 1980 when the Employment Act was amended to stipulate May 1st as a compulsory holiday, did the private sector afford the same form of recognition. Before that, only the public sector granted it as a holiday for its employees. It is noteworthy that May Day is one of the four compulsory holidays in Malaysia, sharing equal status with the Agong's birthday, the Sultan's birthday and Merdeka. This demonstrates the great value placed upon the workforce that underpins and propels the nation, and its gratitude for their contribution.

However, the original essence behind the celebrations has been somewhat diluted since then. Instead of a day where workers rights are evaluated for better protection, it has become a meaningless day off where random events like Sports Days are held, or merely a chance to have a late night out. Even so, there are groups and individuals who have persistently shown determinance in getting the issues affecting marginalised workers heard. A May Day Committee made up of a coalition between community-based organisations and non-governmental organisations that began in 1994 is one of the main efforts, where plantation and estate workers all across the nation have been bussed to Kuala Lumpur - the symbol of Malaysia's development - to peacefully demonstrate for their needs.

Although this space for expressing their concerns is nominal, it is still critical to ensure that the all voices of marginalised workers are heard as there remains another large workforce who remains anonymous, unheard and invisible: women's work in the homes.

This is a huge workforce that goes largely unrecognised as economically valuable work. Because it has become common stereotype that it is the woman's role to be the housekeeper and child carer, the effort and time placed into performing these functions have been obscured into oblivion when thinking about labour. Coupled with the fact that there are increasing numbers of women, including single mothers with careers outside of the home, clocking out does not end at 5.00pm. Their work is continued with even more requirements of skill, self-discipline, patience, judgement and passion until the day is past.

Economists now agree that two thirds of all wealth lies in human beings, i.e. human capital. The well being of these productive human resources depends on factors such as physical and emotional health and education. The work done in households such as domestic chores and childcare are in fact goods and services that contribute towards the well being of productive workers and citizens of the future. Yet the providers of this work, who are largely women, have not been acknowledged for their vital economic role. This unpaid labour in the household is currently not calculated within the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is not mentioned in economic textbooks. As such, it becomes valued at zero and makes it the only work in the economy that is expected to be done without remuneration. This is turn devalues the status of the workers who are largely women.

Recognising the need to make the full extent of women's work and their contributions to the country's economy fully visible, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 called for countries to develop statistical methods to measure women's work in the unremunerated and domestic sectors. Since then, movements have been made to quantify women's unpaid labour into the nation's GDP, as reflected by the Ministry of Women and Family Development's effort in a nationwide survey to put monetary value on such work recently. This move is to ensure that the large labour force that has thus far remained in the shadows will be accounted for and reflected in national policies. It is only with due recognition that the concerns and needs of such work can be addressed, and their key contribution be acknowledged in the country's development.

Perhaps in 2004, the estimated 2.79 million housewives in Malaysia would be able to participate in May Day with full affirmation and protection of their rights as workers.

Jaclyn Kee
4th May 2003

Fortnightly Column by WAO on Sunday Mail (Reprinted with permission from Sunday Mail)