Closed For The Holiday

Monday was "Labor Day".A day designated to honor those members of the "Working Class" who have labored to provide us with the comforts and cultural system we take for granted as well as enjoy.
Labor Day, the first Monday in September,  a creation of the labor movement ,is  dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.

  Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners was first to suggest a day to honor common laborers. Others believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter,  proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. At any rate, Congress declared the first Monday in September to be a federal holiday.  Federal offices are closed, but the common man remains on the job. Labor Day is a day of high labor intensity while shoppers take advantage of sales as school-age children purchase clothes and  "Gotta-haves" for school. Adults are found in the grocery area buying food and refreshments for the last summer grill-out. It's a big business day.

This holiday is a pivotal calendar day, being both an opener and a closer. This day marks the unofficial end of summer and the last day for camping. But, while the campers are enjoying their last family outings, others are loading dad's SUV with the daily necessities needed  of the recent high school graduate as they gather clothes and electronics for their journey to college. Their goal will be to acquire the knowledge and wisdom to later find a worthy job. In time, they will join the work force and enjoy their own future Labor Day.

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To earn a living, everyone  needs  a job unless they are supported by someone else. In an earlier report, the average  full-time employed American man worked 8.4 hours per work day, and the average woman employed full-time worked 7.7 hours per work day.

 A job pays the needed wages.Because of the pressure of working, time is increasingly viewed as a ommodity.Working time may vary from person to person often depending on location, culture, and lifestyle choice. Someone who is supporting children and paying a large mortgage will need to work more hours to meet a basic cost of living than someone without children of the same earning power.

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 But working hours and situations change around the world.
The work week in Samoa is approximately 30 hours, and while the annual Samoan cash income is low, the Samoans standard of living is quite good.
In most European Union countries, working time is gradually decreasing. The European  time directive has set a 48 hour maximum working week that applies to every member state except the United Kingdom.France has a 35-hour week law..

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However, in China,

Most people in China work much more than 44 hours per week, and when they work on weekends or

on national holidays, they typically do not receive any overtime payment.
The average weekly working hours of full-time employees in Hong Kong is 49 hours.
Perhaps the additional work is necessary to fill the  orders for exported products that we have been enjoying!

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In Europe, a different concept is at work.

Norway has a very high standard of living compared with other European countries, however, it is among the most expensive countries in the world. The oil industry is the primary economic engine.
Norway is  one of the most heavily taxed countries in the world.
                                 With all this, how do they do it?

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Taxes comprise the main income for the public in Norway. Taxes support all public services such as healthcare, education, transport and communications. Taxes are designed to contribute to greater equality between Norwegian individuals while providing for most of their needs.They don't  mind paying high taxes when they receive excellent services.

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Here, in the USA, we  receive benefits of paid vacation time to relieve the stress of our labor, but the company's labor goes on. Vacationtime must be individually scheduled. Someone has to be filling the vacant seat. Business would probably suffer if too many people were taking vacation whenever they wished. High hours create high wages and high wages and low taxes are staples of the American economy.

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Norwegians enjoy 25 days "holiday" per year in the large majority of jobs, not including 8-12 additional public holidays.       And they can take their "holidays" anytime they wish!

 Summer-time shutdowns are normal for Europeans, but Norwegians take this to a new level! July is a popular month to take some time-off. While the weather is warm in July, Norwegians take off for the warm beaches and vacation areas.

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 For three weeks in July, most residents go on vacation at the same time! If Norwegian businesses don't stop completely, cities  probably slow to a crawl. This three weeks of work inactivity is known as fellesferie, or "General Staff Holiday". Most businesses
close, policemen are hard to find, even parliament is dismissed. As millions head for the fjords, islands or the Mediterranean, cities such as Oslo must display familiar signs on their entrances. Parking spots are easy to find in the eerie quiet of fellesferie.

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This custom began when fish industries and metal-smelting factories had so many people on holiday that it made more sense just to shut down. Travelling by air can be difficult. SAS canceled 45 of its 600 European flights, stranding 4,000 passengers, because so many  air-crews were on vacation.

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Even Norway's soccer-league take time off for fellesferie, although this causes the season to stretch into cold November. Work takes a "back seat" to relaxation as Norwegians enjoy the summer weather that is too good to waste when one compares it with what's coming!

We celebrate Labor Day. Norwegians  celebrate fellesferie.