No, Labour Day (May 1st) is not a mandatory holiday in India. Central government of India never declared May 1st as a compulsory holiday. India has only 3 mandatory national holidays: 26 January (Republic Day), 15 August (Independence Day), and 02 October (Gandhi Jayanti).
Hence labour day is not a national day, every state has a freedom to declare May 1st as holiday or not. But many states in India declare 01 May as paid holiday under Shops and Establishments Act.
In Which States of India May 1st is a Paid Holiday
| 1. Tamil Nadu | 7. West Bengal | 13. Gujarat |
| 2. Maharashtra | 8. Punjab | 14. Jharkhand |
| 3. Karnataka | 9. Assam | 15. Manipur |
| 4. Andhra Pradesh | 10. Odisha | 16. Tripura |
| 5. Telangana | 11. Bihar | |
| 6. Kerala | 12. Goa |
- The government institutions, schools, and banks don’t work on labour day.
Why Other States Don’t Give Holiday on May 1st
- Because the Central Government of India did not declare Labour Day as a compulsory holiday.
- Each state of India prepares its own list of public holidays under the Shops and Establishments Act or other labour law at the start of each year. Some states choose not to include May 1st as a holiday in their list.
- In private sectors like IT, industrial activity has less significance so they don’t include May 1st in their holidays list.
Compulsory Holidays in India as per Labour Law
As per the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946 the Republic Day, Independence Day, and Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday shall be mandatory holidays.
- 26 January (Republic Day)
- 15 August (Independence Day)
- 02 October (Gandhi Jayanti)
What is Labour Day
- Labour day (May 1st) is an annual day of a celebration for the labour movement and its achievements. It is also known as International Workers Day.
- It is a recognition to honor the contribution of the working class in society. The first labour day was celebrated in India on 01 May 1923 in Chennai.
Recommended:
