SINGAPORE: Aside from the May Day Message from the Workers’ Party, WP MP Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC) posted a message of his own on social media, recalling the party’s roots and noting that the fight is not over.
“Happy Labour Day, everyone!” he wrote on social media, calling May 1 “a day to remember all those who fought hard and sacrificed to advance the well-being of workers and the most disadvantaged in society”.
He reminded everyone of battles still to be won, including the right of food and beverage (F&B) and retail workers to sit down while at work and to implement a redundancy scheme for workers, a long-standing WP demand.
“Yesterday, our Hammer outreach took us to the Kaki Bukit ward of Aljunied GRC and the Blk 216 Bedok North market in East Coast GRC, the GRC where I used to spend most of my time on ground efforts,” he wrote.
On the eve of Labour Day, he was reminded that the WP was founded 66 years ago in 1957 to “work for the elimination of man’s exploitation of man, (and press) for the recognition in practice of the basic equality of all human beings and for equal opportunities for the individual for full and free development within the framework of respect for the rights of all”.
While some of the words the party used back then sound “antiquated”, now that we use gender-neutral language, “the ideals remain relevant to our age,” he wrote, adding that these must be applied to the challenges of our day. He mentioned the challenges facing gig workers, persons with disabilities or mental health challenges, migrant workers and workers who face discrimination.
“I hope The Workers’ Party will always be a force to help advance those who are less fortunate and less advantaged.
“This cause will always need to be fought.
“After all, the equal importance of every human life is an ideal that must be taken seriously. #MayDay #LabourDay #TeamWP #makingyourvotecount,” he added. /TISG