THIS DAY IN OUR PAST

The following events took place on May 23 in the years identified:

1961:Day Jamaica’s first Labour is celebrated by three of the island’s political trade union organisations by marches in the city and celebrations in Clarendon. Up to 1960, May 24, Commonwealth or Empire Day, as it was previously known, is celebrated in Jamaica as ‘Labour Day’ as the closest public holiday to May 23, the actual anniversary of the start of the modern labour movement in Jamaica. In 1960, the Government proposed to change Commonwealth

Day to Labour Day, but before the bill to do so was passed, the Legislature accepted a suggestion made in the Parliament and Politics column of the political reporter of

The Daily Gleaner and changed the holiday from May 24 to 23, the actual anniversary day.

The Estimates of Ex 1970: penditure to be presented to the House of Representatives on Thursday, May 28, 1970, involves an entirely new concept in budgeting. Questioned on the matter, Minister of Finance Edward Seaga says that this is the factor which had led to the 1970/71 Budget being one month behind in presentation. “This new form of estimates presentation,” Seaga says, “requires one extra month of preparation as compared with 1969.”The new concept of budgeting is called ‘Programme Budgeting’ and involves what amounts to a large number of ‘Mini-Budgets’ which together constitute the Budget document. The Mini-Budgets are in effect Departmental Budgets. The reasons behind the change, it is learnt, is to provide considerably more information to Parliament and the country about expenditure.

1990:Many hands turn out to work on more than 1,000 Labour Day projects Islandwide. Health and environment, the main focus of the day’s activities, see hospitals and health centres getting facelifts from volunteers. Scores of Labour Day helpers converge from as early as 7 a.m. on the grounds of the Bellevue Hospital, east Kingston, which is 1990’s national project.