Taiwan :
In Taiwan , thousands of workers took to the streets to protest against what they called the inadequacies of the self-ruled island ’ s labour policies , putting pressure on the governing party ahead of the 2024 presidential election . Lebanon :
In Lebanon , hundreds of Communist Party and trade syndicate members , as well as groups of migrant domestic workers , marched through the streets of downtown Beirut . The country is in the throes of a crippling economic crisis and spiralling inflation , with some three-quarters of the population now living in poverty . Pakistan :
In Pakistan , authorities banned rallies in some cities over security concerns . In Peshawar , in the country ’ s northwest , labour organisations and trade unions held indoor events to demand better workers ’ rights amid high inflation . Similar rallies were also being held and planned later on Monday in several cities across India . North Korea :
In North Korea , the country ’ s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper published a lengthy editorial urging workers to lend greater support to leader Kim Jong Un , fulfill their set production quotas and improve public livelihoods . Germany :
Numerous further rallies by labour unions and left-wing groups are planned in Germany on Monday . Protests in Germany kicked off with a “ Take Back the Night ” rally organised by feminist and queer groups on the eve of May Day to protest against violence directed at women and LGBTQ + people . Several thousand people took part in the march , which was largely peaceful despite occasional clashes between participants and police .
Sri Lanka :
Sri Lanka ’ s opposition political parties and trade unions held workers ’ day rallies protesting austerity measures and economic reforms linked to a bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund . Protesters demanded the government halt moves to privatize
June - 2023 state-owned and semi-government businesses . Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in history and has suspended foreign debt repayments . Spain :
More than 70 marches were held across Spain , led by the country ’ s powerful unions , who warned of “ social conflict ” if Spain ’ s low salaries for the EU average did not rise in line with inflation . They also praised incentives to move Spain to a four-day working week to relieve the strain on workers . Philippines :
Hundreds of Filipino activists took to the streets in Manila on Monday ( May 1 ) to mark International Workers Day . Activists held banners and chanted slogans at a rally near the Presidential Palace and called on the government to increase the basic minimum wage , protect jobs and treatment of labourers in the country . USA :
A number of U . S . cities are geared up for May Day ( International Workers Day ) 2023 with actions that highlighted labor struggles , especially those involving young workers organizing at Starbucks and Amazon . May Day was kicked off Monday , May 1 , at Union Square in Manhattan with a march . Political themes include : Stop union busting ; support for migrant workers ; the working class has no boundaries ; and negotiate fair contracts at Amazon , Starbucks , Trader Joe ’ s , Rutgers University and everywhere .
from page 24 AYUSH .... alone to evaluate their effectiveness and understand the mechanism of action ; this is currently not within the ambit of the agreement .
While the initiative may right away not provide scientific validation of ayurveda interventions in treating disease conditions when used singularly , it is the first major step in evidencebased approach of validating medical interventions . Though trials using ayurveda and other systems of AYUSH have been conducted in the country , they suffer from major limitations , thus making the outcomes meaningless . The ICMR ’ s expertise is
Canada :
May Day in Canada fell immediately after the conclusion of a strike of over 150,000 federal government workers . This is just a few months after a strike of 55,000 workers in Ontario defied “ back to work ” legislation , humiliating the right-wing government in the province . The federal worker strike was the largest in Canada in a generation , and shows that the class struggle is beginning to pick up . Comrades from Fightback , the Canadian section of the IMT , intervened enthusiastically in this strike and at May Day demonstrations , which blended together in some cities .
Greece :
Thousands of Greek workers , mainly from various leftist parties and trade unions , rallied in the capital Athens to mark May Day . In Greece , tens of thousands of furious demonstrators denounced planned austerity measures needed to secure rescue loans for the country , which is battling a severe debt crisis . Police clashed with protesters in Athens and in the second-largest city of Thessaloniki , where more than 5,000 people demonstrated . The protests come as Greek officials today wrap up negotiations with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to dramatically cut spending and raise taxes in return for the international loan package , which is worth $ 60 billion this year alone . � sure to help in overcoming the major obstacle in scientific validation , which all systems of AYUSH currently suffer from . Evidence , as the practitioners of AYUSH refer to , is nothing but anecdotal , which is not an alternative to evidence-based approach . Lack of scientific validation , as a stand-alone intervention or as adjunct to modern medicine , has been the bane of alternative medicine in India . No sincere , large-scale attempts have been made to address this serious shortcoming . The collaboration with the ICMR is , therefore , a step in the right direction .
Courtesy with ‘ The Hindu ’, May 13 , 2023
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