Netizens Demand "Designate May 2nd, Friday as a Public Holiday"
As the Golden Week vacation approaches in early May, calls are spreading online to designate May 2nd as a public holiday.
On the 11th, a post titled "Reasons Why Workers Earnestly Hope for May 2nd to be Designated as a Public Holiday" appeared on an online community.
The author, A, stated, "This year, May 1st is Labor Day, May 2nd is a weekday (Thursday), May 3rd and 4th are the weekend, May 5th is Buddha's Birthday and Children's Day, and May 6th is a substitute holiday," adding, "If May 2nd is designated as a public holiday, we could have as long as six consecutive days off."
Reactions from netizens have been mixed.
Those in favor of the designation argued, "If some have to take annual leave while others have to watch out, it’s better for everyone to have a day off," "The government should consider this," and "Just one extra day off would improve work efficiency."
On the other hand, those opposed expressed concerns, saying, "Ultimately, it will only increase the number of travelers going abroad," "Airfare prices have already skyrocketed," and "Many workers will still be unable to take time off even if it is designated as a public holiday."
Opinions are divided… "Workers need rest vs. everyone will go abroad anyway"
In fact, the government designated January 27th as a public holiday ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, but it has been evaluated that this only fueled the increase in overseas travel demand rather than the expected effect of revitalizing domestic consumption.
At that time, the number of outbound travelers from the country hit its highest level in six years, with a significant increase in visitors to Japan and Vietnam. This has raised skepticism about whether designating May 2nd as a public holiday will genuinely aid in bolstering domestic consumption.
According to Article 2, Paragraph 10 of the current "Act on Public Holidays," the government can designate temporary public holidays as needed.
Additionally, according to the revised Labor Standards Act in 2022, workplaces with five or more employees must guarantee paid leave for employees on temporary public holidays and provide substitutes if they work.
As the debate over the designation of the temporary public holiday continues, attention is focused on what decision the government will make.
Image source: News1
