President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his first May Day message as Head of State, called on the working people of Sri Lanka to unite in solidarity and take a leading role in rebuilding the nation, which he said is undergoing a “profound and progressive transformation.”
Reflecting on the origins of International Workers’ Day, the President paid tribute to the workers who sacrificed their lives during the 1886 Haymarket protest in Chicago, where demonstrators demanding an eight-hour workday were met with deadly violence. He noted that the spirit of that historic struggle continues to inspire the global workers’ movement.
“This year, we commemorate May Day at a moment when Sri Lanka is turning a new page,” Dissanayake said, describing the shift as a breakaway from a corrupt, elitist system maintained for 76 years by a rotating political power structure led by a handful of influential families. He credited the people’s overwhelming mandate at the recent presidential and parliamentary elections for initiating this political change.
He said that under the governance of the National People’s Power (NPP), Sri Lanka is now on a path of extensive economic, social, and political reform. “We have already succeeded in initiating a stable recovery of an economy that was dragged to the depths,” he noted, adding that the benefits of this recovery are already visible.
Highlighting measures taken by his administration, Dissanayake pointed to the significant salary hike for public servants in the first national budget and a broad range of support introduced for farmers, fishers, youth, women, students, producers, small-scale entrepreneurs, and professionals. He also pledged continued efforts to address the longstanding grievances of plantation workers and ensure their civil rights.
The President called for a new chapter in human rights that keeps pace with the changing nature of society, citing the need to recognise digital access and environmental protection as fundamental rights. He stressed that the world needs an updated global declaration of human rights that reflects contemporary realities and aspirations.
In his concluding remarks, President Dissanayake urged the working people of Sri Lanka to rise with determination. “As we restore and reform an economy devastated by decades of corrupt politics, I warmly invite our beloved working people to join hands in solidarity, to rise with determination and to strive towards building a beautiful life and a thriving nation for everyone,” he said.
He extended heartfelt wishes for a meaningful May Day that reaffirms the dignity and rights of all working people.
