Labour Day in Guyana

Date and legal status

Guyana’s Public Holidays Act names Labour Day as 1 May. If that date falls on a Sunday, the Act makes the following day a public holiday. The law also allows the minister responsible for public holidays to appoint another day by Gazette notice, but the Act does not set a general substitute day for when 1 May falls on a Saturday.[1]

The Act defines a public holiday as a day kept as a holiday by banks, educational establishments, public offices and government departments, subject to specified exceptions for some public offices or departments. It does not establish that every private employer or business must close.[1]

Labour movement and meaning

Guyana’s May Day observances began in the 1930s, when the British Guiana Labour Union initiated what were then called “May-Day Demonstrations.” They drew attention to poor working and living conditions and made demands on the colonial administration for improvements.[2]

Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow became central to the observances and to the story of Guyanese trade unionism. A Guyanese government account describes his role in initiating the movement and fighting for workers’ rights; a statue of Critchlow stands in the compound of the Public Buildings in Georgetown.[2][3]

How the day is marked

Accounts from the Ministry responsible for labour describe past Labour Day celebrations as including wreath-laying ceremonies, marches through Georgetown and rallies. These gatherings brought together unions and members of the public, and carried forward the earlier demonstrations’ focus on workers’ concerns.[2]

The observances have also been called May Day and form part of Critchlow Week, which the labour ministry said was commemorated with the labour movement and trade union fraternity during the last week of April and first week of May.[2]

What to expect

Because the Act treats Labour Day as a public holiday for banks, educational establishments, public offices and government departments, travelers should check directly with a particular service before visiting. Check opening hours and transport schedules with the relevant business or operator before you go.[1]