Symbols and value of May Day
Remembering May Day means, on the one hand, finding strategies to increase employment opportunities, and on the other, guaranteeing everyone the possibility of accessing them. The intervention of Sister Anna Monia Alfieri
The dimension of work is fundamental for each of us: dependent, self-employed, housework, it is always the means by which each person is fulfilled, finds his or her place in society, contributes to one's own good and that of others. Certainly, we know, it is not always like this: workers whose rights are not respected, the unemployed, precarious workers. May 1st reminds us of all of this, it reminds us of the full or non-realization of the person.
Anyone who knows me knows that I don't like gender divisions in the battle for rights. However, I cannot fail to mention that often women's access to the world of work does not enjoy the same guarantees as it does for men. Unfortunately too often maternity is not protected, certain positions are assigned only to male workers; the working woman cannot count on a social welfare made up of free nursery schools or other interventions. Furthermore, the lack of recognition of the right to freedom of educational choice also harms this reality: an equal public school that offers a study assistance service until 18:00 cannot be chosen because a fee must be paid for that school.
It is a vicious circle: until certain rights are guaranteed, the situation cannot register an effective improvement. It is also necessary to create a direct link between school and the world of work, between school and all the economic players present in the area: libraries and museums for schools in our historic centres, Made in Italy companies for provincial schools. And again: creating direct contact with the great realities of tourism, of the enhancement of our cultural heritage, all realities on which our economy can be built.
Remembering May 1st means, on the one hand, finding strategies to increase employment opportunities, and on the other, guaranteeing everyone the possibility of accessing them. I invite young people to approach the world of work with humility and attention, with an open mind and heart: a little apprenticeship is good for everyone! On the other hand, I invite employers to offer our young people real learning opportunities, with respect and seriousness in relationships. School and the world of work are also united in this: in training and being trained. It has always been like this: from the artisan workshop of the Middle Ages to the great industry of our age, in a passage of knowledge and practices that made our country great.
I conclude by quoting a passage from Gaudium et spes, the conciliar Constitution on the Church in the contemporary world: I wish it to be a wish for everyone, believers and non-believers, men and women, students and workers, so that everyone feels called, in a virtuous circle of responsibility: human activity, indeed, as it derives from man, so it is ordered to man. In fact, when man works, he not only modifies things and society, but also perfects himself. He learns many things, develops his faculties, is led to go beyond himself and to surpass himself. This development, if it is well understood, is worth more than the external riches that can be accumulated (…) Therefore, this is the norm of human activity: that according to God's plan and will it correspond to the true good of humanity, and allows the individual or as a member of society to cultivate and implement his integral vocation.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/economia/simboli-e-valore-del-primo-maggio/ on Mon, 01 May 2023 06:04:50 +0000.