Labour Day in Peru

A fixed national holiday

Peru’s holiday law lists Labour Day as May 1. The date is fixed. The holiday provides paid rest; workers who work that day may receive substitute rest, or additional pay if they do not.[1]

The holiday is described as applying to public- and private-sector workers nationwide. The law establishes workers’ rest and pay, but it does not tell visitors whether a particular bank, shop, restaurant or transport service will operate. Check directly with the service you plan to use.[1]

From Chicago to Peru

May 1 is part of an international workers’ commemoration associated with the 1886 struggle for an eight-hour working day in Chicago. In Peru, the date became linked to local campaigns for improved working conditions and shorter hours.[2]

Peru’s eight-hour-day campaign

A key early milestone came on May 1, 1905, when the Federation of Bakers’ Workers marked the Chicago events in Peru. At a ceremony, Manuel González Prada and Manuel Caracciolo Lévano spoke about workers’ rights and the eight-hour day. The measure won by Callao workers at that time was limited to the Constitutional Province of Callao.[2]

Labour agitation continued, and unions pressed for the eight-hour day across the country. In January 1919, a general strike and negotiations led the government to decree the eight-hour working day for the whole Republic. The holiday therefore recalls both an international cause and a distinct Peruvian labour struggle.[2]

Observance and practical planning

May 1 is a day of remembrance for workers and the struggle for the eight-hour day, including the Chicago martyrs. A ceremony in Peru took place in 1905.[2]

For workers, the practical point is that May 1 is a paid holiday. If work is required, the employer may grant a substitute rest day; without substitute rest, the cited guidance says the worker is entitled to the holiday payment, pay for the work, and a 100 percent surcharge. Confirm arrangements with the employer, since individual circumstances can affect payroll.[1]