Srilanka, May 1 -- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to mark the International Workers' Day, in a message yesterday said that working masses of the country continue to shoulder the burden of rebuilding the economy in the face of global geopolitical shifts and growing challenges.

"As we restore and reform an economy devastated by decades of corrupt politics, I warmly invite our beloved working people to join hands in solidarity, to rise with determination and to strive towards building "a beautiful life and a thriving nation" for everyone", he said.

Excerpts from the message: On May 1, 1886, during a protest in Haymarket Square, Chicago, workers who demanded an eight-hour workday, was violently confronted with gunfire.

To pay tribute ...