To be understood and respected... although it seems it has to be paid for by working on other days.

Unless you work in retail, tourism, hospitality or F&B, etc.; then you labor.

Meh.

Meh to what? What meh?

After all the hard labor and contribution to your countries, I bet it must be great with a labor day off.

I know of no other country in which so many people - including most students and teachers -

are required to 'make up' the time 'lost' to a holiday by, for example, losing a weekly day off or two and having to work - as is the case in China - this seems particularly outrageous when it's Labor Day that has to be 'made up for'.

In my home country, and I believe most countries, the Labor Day only constitutes one day of holiday - that being the May 1st.

If that was the case in China also, they wouldn't need to make up for that single day.

They make up for the extra 2 days, which in other countries are not holidays at all.

Here they prefer to get 3 consecutive day break, rather than the regular weekend and then 1 day in middle of week.

It's understandable during some holidays with travel peaks and quite some distance to cover for many people.

@Jan Jal: But in fact people do have to make up for May 1, as well as the extra 2 days, don't they?

As far as I know, no.

Thursday May 2nd was compensated by working in Sunday, April 28th.

Friday May 3rd will be compensated by working in Sunday May 5th.

And that's it - no compensation required for May 1st.

Oh. Well then, I'll be somewhat less outraged until I hear otherwise. :)
But it still seems rather odd to find holidays being given with one hand and taken back with the other.