It is a truly wondrous thing that inside our Universe, we have an object that is capable of understanding the Universe itself. The human mind is, debatably but empoweringly, one of the most precious resource there is. And it is even more astounding that when the human mind is put to work, within a work setting, so much can be achieved.
Combine the potential of the human mind in one worker with others, in unity, and that potential becomes infinite. Take the concept of building workers’ strength through unity, which originated in factories but can be applied to practically any contemporary work setting where ideas come together, and you’ll get a long list of ways our lives have improved significantly over a very short period of time.
Consumer LED light bulbs, self-driving vehicles, smart speakers, new vaccines, the Large Hadron Collider – these are all relatively recent inventions that whole teams of researchers, manufacturers, delivery persons and teams of workers have brought to consumers.
It is no wonder, then, that in many of the countries across the world, including in the six countries where the participating universities of SEA-EU are situated, the first day of every May is dedicated to workers, their triumphs and their rights.
The SEA-EU is an alliance of many individuals from six coastal universities, who are working in unity to establish a distinctly international, pluri-ethnic, multilingual and interdisciplinary European University which strengthens knowledge transfer. SEA-EU unites 122,832 students, 28,373 alumni a year, 16, 909 staff, 68 faculties, 117 research institutes and 3 International Clusters of Excellence.
Here’s how the six participating universities celebrate Workers’ Day on 1 May:
In Malta, represented by the University of Malta, 1 May is a Public Holiday also tied to a religious event, St Joseph the Worker, so workers trade their tools for a day of rest. It is also the anniversary of when the island became a full member of the EU, in 2004. Activities commemorating this event mostly take place in the capital city, Valletta, but a number of TV and radio appearances, as well as opinion pieces on workers’ right on local newspapers.
- In Spain, represented by the Universidad de Cádiz, 1 May is also a Public Holiday, also known as El Dia Del Trabajador, with large crowds engaging in public demonstrations across various cities, especially the capital, Madrid, to improve workers’ rights and achieve a satisfactory balance between work and family life. Trade unions play a significant part in this holiday, as they are the organisations making official demands on behalf of the workers.
In Poland, represented by the University of Gdansk, 1 May is International Labour Day. Whilst in the time of Communism, this used to be celebrated grandly with elaborate parades, nowadays, the emphasis falls on 3 May, Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1971 on which one of the first constitutions in the world were signed. Since both 1 and 3 May are holidays, the Polish get to enjoy a long weekend featuring picnics and grill feasts.
In France, represented by the University of West Brittany, 1 May is also a time for the public demonstrations of workers in almost every city. The feast goes back to 1561, when King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley flower as a charm, and thereafter decided to offer one a year to each lady at the King’s court. To this day, it is customary to give a lily of the valley to friends and family as a symbol of springtime.
In Germany, represented by Kiel University, May Day is a day off for the general population. Whilst it is an occasion for workers to campaign for their rights, many also attend the festival is held across the country to welcome spring and drive away evil spirits. There is a tradition that dictates that young men put a branch wrapped in colorful ribbons in the garden of the girl they would like to marry.
In Croatia, represented by the University of Split, Međunarodni praznik rada is a day of solidarity, originating from the industrial period when salaries were lower and workers organised strikes to get better working conditions. Instead of protests, people celebrate this day and the right to work, rest and a decent private life by attending parades in one of the larger cities and meeting in groups to roast a lamb or ox.
And while the feeling of unison between workers in all six countries reigns strong, so does the sense of collaboration between the members of the SEA-EU alliance, who are currently busy organising the upcoming SMART Summer School to take place between 12 and 16 July and the support sessions for student start-ups (STup!), to take place in June.
Because if there is one thing that can unite workers and change the way we work for the better, it is education.