When is Labour Day?
In 2026, Labour Day falls on Friday, May 1, 2026. It is classified here as a paid public holiday.
History of Labour Day
International Workers’ Day grew from the nineteenth-century movement for shorter hours. In Guinea-Bissau it speaks to agriculture, fishing, port labour, markets, transport, public service, domestic work and small enterprise as well as formal salaried employment. It therefore has a broader labour history than a single official march.
The Pidjiguiti strike shows how labour and anti-colonial history intersect locally, yet May 1 is a distinct international occasion. Unions, government and employers may address wages, safety and social protection, while informal and unpaid workers experience the legal holiday differently. Holiday pay does not depend on attending a ceremony.
Labour Day is one of the eight mandatory national holidays in Decree 1/2023. Article 1 orders work to stop in public and private sectors except activities that cannot be interrupted. Labour Code articles 142 and 161 preserve remuneration; an employee working for an establishment lawfully kept open receives equal compensatory rest or a 100% pay supplement, at the employer’s choice. Monday observance requires special legislation under article 141(3), so weekend substitution is not automatic.
How Labour Day is observed
Mandatory national holiday on Friday, May 1, 2026, producing a weekend without a substitute-day question. Current government notices, employer policies and local schedules in Guinea-Bissau should be checked for closures, substitute dates and public-service arrangements.
Traditions of Labour Day
Community practice
Workers may attend union meetings, discuss workplace concerns or rest with family. Market traders, farmers and other self-employed people may continue working.
Public or religious programme
Unions, authorities, employers and media may organise speeches, marches or programmes on decent work under an annual theme.
Planning the date
Uninterrupted activities may remain open. Covered holiday workers should consult article 161 on compensatory rest or the 100% supplement.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Guinea-Bissau official holiday calendar or legislation. Government, regional, school and employer schedules in Guinea-Bissau may differ; check the linked official source and current local notices before making time-sensitive plans.
History sources: INSS Guinea-Bissau: Labour Code approved by Law 7/2022, Official Gazette: Decree 1/2023 on mandatory national holidays, National People’s Assembly: Constitution of Guinea-Bissau, National People’s Assembly: history of Guinea-Bissau, United Nations: record of the September 24, 1973 proclamation, United Nations: Guinea-Bissau member-state profile, U.S. Office of the Historian: contemporary record of Amílcar Cabral’s assassination, UNFPA Guinea-Bissau: International Women’s Day programme, International Labour Organization: May Day and labour solidarity, Guinea News Agency: 2026 carnival programme, ISCTE: research on carnival and Guinean identity, 2026 ministry notice reproduced by Fala de Papagaio: Good Friday and Easter, 2026 government notice reproduced by Conosaba: Korité, 2026 ministry notice reproduced by Fala de Papagaio: Tabaski, Guinea News Agency: Tabaski 2026 in Bolama/Bijagós, Guinea-Bissau Red Cross: Tabaski aid in 2026, VOA Português: holidays removed by Decree 1/2023, RTP/Lusa: Freedom Fighters’ Day commemoration in 2025, International Labour Organization: history of the ILO.
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