LABOUR DAY – NOT JUST A HOLIDAY

Labour Day will be observed on Wednesday, May 23 under the theme: ‘Honouring our Ancestors…Strengthening Communities’. The theme was selected in keeping with the one- year observance of the 200th Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans.

Overall Objective of Labour Day

The main objective of Labour Day is to ‘enhance the dignity of labour’ by improving the environment, inspiring the spirit of community development, and encourage the principle of working together and sharing.

National Project

Work will be undertaken at Bath Botanical Gardens in St. Thomas which has a strong heritage component. This botanical garden, the second oldest in the western hemisphere was established by the government in 1779.

Many of the exotic plants introduced to Jamaica were first planted here including the jacaranda, bougainvillea, mango, cinnamon, breadfruit, jackfruit and croton (used to mark the ancestors’ graves).

The Bath Botanical Gardens has helped with the introduction of plants even to Kew Gardens in London and the British Museum of Natural History which was founded with a collection of Jamaican plants.

The following activities have been proposed for the National Project:

  • Creation of a healing garden with legal medicinal herbs and plants
  • Enhanced identification of plants
  • Creation of storyboards to highlight the significance of plants
  • Clean-up and beautification of garden and surrounding areas

Proposed activities for parish and community projects

In keeping with the theme, it was proposed that Labour Day projects focus on:

  • The improvement or rehabilitation of heritage sites and landmarks
  • The clearing and cleaning of cemeteries
  • Painting and clean-up of schools, churches
  • Other general beautification programmes
  • Activities linked to community development

National Labour Day 2007 Events

  • Launch by the Most Hon. Prime Minister-Thursday, April 26, 2007 @ 11:00 a.m. on the Jamaica House lawn, 1 Devon Road, Kingston 10.

  • National Thanksgiving Church Service- Saturday, May 19, 2007 @ 11:00 a.m . at the Andrews Seventh Day Adventist Church, 27 Hope Road, Kingston 10.

  • A grand Labour Day Concert-Morant Bay, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Paul Bogle Square, Morant Bay

Project Registration forms must be submitted by Friday, May 11, 2007 to any of the following:

Ministry of Tourism, Entertainment & Culture, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5,

Tel: 920-4926, Fax: 920-4944, email: mts@cwjamaica.com; or TheParish Council;Social Development Commission (SDC); Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) parish offices or the TPDCo.