Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day? -Kenneth C. Davis

Prevodilac: Ivana Krivokuća Lektor: Tijana Mihajlović

Kako vam se čini ova čudna ideja -

How's this for a strange idea:

a day off from work in honor of work itself?

slobodan dan od posla u čast samog posla?

Actually, that is what Labor Day,

Zapravo, to je ono što Dan rada,

celebrated in the United States and Canada

koji se proslavlja u Sjedinjenim Državama i Kanadi

on the first Monday of every September,

prvog ponedeljka svakog septembra,

is all about.

u suštini predstavlja.

The first American Labor Day

Prvi američki Dan rada

was celebrated in New York City

proslavljen je u Njujorku

on September 5th, 1882,

petog septembra 1882. godine,

as thousands of workers and their families

kada je hiljade radnika i njihovih porodica

came to Union Square for a day in the park.

došlo na Junion skver da provede dan u parku.

It was not a national holiday

To nije bio državni praznik,

but had been organized by a union

ali ga je organizovao sindikat

to honor workers and their hard efforts

u čast radnicima i njihovom napornom radu

with a rare day of rest,

uz retke dane odmora,

halfway between July 4th and Thanksgiving.

na polovini između 4. jula i Dana zahvalnosti.

Održani su piknici i parada,

There were picnics and a parade,

but there were also protests.

ali je takođe bilo i protesta.

The workers had gathered,

Radnici su se okupili

not just to rest and celebrate,

ne samo da bi se odmorili i slavili,

but to demand fair wages,

već i da bi zahtevali pravednu zaradu,

the end of child labor,

ukidanje dečje radne snage

and the right to organize into unions.

i pravo da se organizuju u sindikate.

Tokom perioda poznatog kao industrijska revolucija,

During the period known as

The Industrial Revolution,

many jobs were difficult, dirty and dangerous.

mnogi poslovi su bili teški, prljavi i opasni.

Ljudi su radili po 12 sati,

People worked for twelve hours,

šest dana nedeljno,

six days a week,

without fringe benefits,

bez radničkih beneficija

kao što su odmor, zdravstvena nega i penzije,

such as vacations, health care and pensions,

a ako ste mladi, velike su šanse

and if you were young, chances are

you were doing manual labor

da biste radili fizičke poslove

instead of your ABCs and fractions.

umesto da se bavite čitanjem i razlomcima.

Children as young as ten

Deca od svega deset godina

radila su na nekim od najopasnijih mesta

worked in some of the most hazardous places,

like coal mines or factories filled with boiling vats

kao što su rudnici uglja i fabrike pune ključalih kaca

ili opasnih mašina.

or dangerous machines.

Trying to win better pay, shorter hours

Pokušavajući da dobiju bolju platu,

kraće radno vreme i bezbednije uslove,

and safer conditions

workers had begun to form labor unions

radnici su počeli da osnivaju sindikate rada

in America and Canada,

u Americi i Kanadi,

but the companies they worked for

ali su se kompanije za koje su radili

often fought hard to keep unions out

često žestoko borile da istisnu sindikate

and to supress strikes.

i uguše štrajkove.

At times, this led to violent battles

S vremena na vreme, to bi dovelo do nasilnih borbi

between workers and business owners

između radnika i vlasnika preduzeća,

with the owners often backed up by the police,

pri čemu je vlasnike često podržavala policija,

or even the military.

pa čak i vojska.

In the following years,

Narednih godina,

the idea of Labor Day caught on in America

ideja o Danu rada je zaživela u Americi

with official celebrations reaching 30 states.

i zvanično je proslava doprla do 30 država.

But then came the violent

Međutim, zatim su nastupili nasilni nemiri na Trgu Hejmarket 1886. godine,

Haymarket Square Riot of 1886,

which led to the deaths of several policemen

što je dovelo do smrti nekoliko policajaca

and workers in Chicago

i radnika u Čikagu

and the execution of four union leaders.

i pogubljenja četiri vođe sindikata.

Nakon toga, mnoge radne i političke grupe

After that, many labor and political groups

around the world

širom sveta

had begun to mark Haymarket Square on May 1st,

počele su da obeležavaju aferu Hejmarket 1. maja,

which became known as

što je postalo poznato

International Workers' Day.

kao Međunarodni praznik rada.

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland

Godine 1894, predsednik Grover Klivlend

signed the law making Labor Day a

potpisao je zakon,

učinivši Dan rada državnim praznikom u Americi,

federal holiday in America,

only days after he had sent

tek nekoliko dana nakon što je poslao

12,000 soldiers to end

12 000 vojnika da zaustave

a violent railroad strike

nasilni štrajk železničara

that resulted in the death of several people.

koji je imao za posledicu smrt nekolicine ljudi.

The original September date was kept,

Sačuvan je prvobitni dan u septembru,

partly to avoid the more radical associations of May 1st.

delom da bi se izbegla radikalna povezanost sa 1. majem.

Canada also created its Labor Day in 1894.

Kanada je takođe imenovala svoj Dan rada 1894. godine.

Međutim, uprkos ovom novom prazniku,

But, in spite of this new holiday,

it would be a long time before the changes

proći će mnogo vremena pre nego što promene

that workers wanted

koje su radnici želeli

ne postanu stvarnost.

became a reality.

Godine 1938, za vreme Velike depresije

In 1938, during the Great Depression

that left millions without jobs,

koja je milione ostavila bez posla,

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

predsednik Frenklin D. Ruzvelt

signed a law calling for an eight-hour work day,

potpisao je zakon koji zahteva radni dan od osam sati,

a five-day work week,

radnu nedelju od pet dana

and an end to child labor,

i ukidanje dečje radne snage,

some of the first federal protections for American workers.

što su neke od prvih zaštita države za američke radnike.

As America and Canada celebrate Labor Day,

Dok Amerika i Kanada slave Dan rada,

most of the two countries' children enjoy

većina dece u ove dve zemlje uživa

a day off from school.

u slobodnom danu od škole.

Međutim, važno je upamtiti

But it is important to remember

da je postojalo vreme

that there was a time that

everyday was a labor day for children in America and Canada,

kada je svaki dan bio dan rada za decu u Americi i Kanadi,

and unfortunately,

i nažalost,

isti podatak i dalje važi

the same fact remains true

for millions of children around the world today.

za milione dece širom sveta danas.