Angry Islanders demand Liberation holiday
Friday 5th February 2010, 2:59PM GMT.
Thousands attended the Liberation thanksgiving service and re-enactment last year
STATES Members are facing a fierce public backlash after refusing to give Islanders an extra day off to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Liberation.
Earlier this week they voted by 27 to 22 against plans to designate Monday 10 May a public holiday because Liberation Day falls on a Sunday.
Since the vote, hundreds of Islanders have voiced their anger at the States and accused them of being out of touch with public opinion.
And the unrest has been fuelled by news that Guernsey residents will enjoy an extra day off after the island’s States unanimously approved calls to designate 10 May a public holiday.
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I have lived in Jersey for 38 years and am married to a Jerseyman. I have great respect and sympathy for what Islanders suffered during the occupation and we have to face the fact that there are only a minority still alive who were actually liberated.
The majority of our population are non Jersey and as such Liberation Day means little or nothing to them. I think that the 9th May should remain as being the official remembrance.
For once the States of Jersey have made the right decision, stop being greedy and demanding an extra paid day off.
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I’m not sure if I’m that bothered about not having an extra holiday or not, but I think the anger which is stemming from this decision is due to the fact that it’s yet another kick in the teeth for people living in Jersey. It seems that recently there’s been a gradual erosion of quality of life on the island.
Everything’s rapidly becoming more expensive, people are losing their jobs, the States are continuing to waste money on ridiculous projects……and now, just to cap it – we (The States) don’t want you lot to have a day off. It’s almost as if they’re seeing how far they can push us before we break.
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Sixty five years is along time ago. To be alive now you would have had to be in your early twentys or younger. We should remember our history, could we not have the a Battle of Jersey day off to remember beating the French.
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Liberation day should never have been a public holiday in the first place.
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1 Dorgay
Sorry, but the fact there may be few survivors around today is irrelevant. It is an important historical event for the island (and Europe as a whole) and should never be forgotten.
We all seem to celebrate a public holiday for a certain birth over 2000 years ago when that person may (or may not) have even existed!
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I think people are fogetting what Liberation day is actually about.
It is a day to remember
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Let’s not forget why we commemorate Liberation Day – it’s not just an excuse for a day off!
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I agree with you Dorgay!
Liberation Day is May 9th.
My parents were liberated and are still alive. They think the same way too.
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Please can someone explain to me what an earth an extra day off work has in relation to celebrating Liberation Day falling on a Sunday?
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See the votes on face book, “MAKE MAY 10 a bank holiday”
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Bob #2, I assume your piece was meant as sarcasm! In the current icy blast of world recession with Iceland bust, Ireland and Greece not far behind, unemployment in Spain running at 25%, I would say we were pretty lucky here in Jersey as we have (so far) escaped the worst of it.
Not having a holiday when there is no obligation to provide one seems like good fiscal management in difficult times, doesn’t it?
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I lived all through the Occupation and remember the Liberation very clearly. Liberation Day is the 9th May NOT the 10th May – this is just an excuse for another day off probably by a lot of people who were not even here in the Occupation.
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Rico,your crass comment shows how utterly out of sync you really are……people were sent to die in Nazi concentration camps from here.
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We have never been allowed an extra day when the 9th falls on a weekend, over all these years. Why start now? Sadly, so many local people don’t want to work. Rediscovering the work ethic is absolutly essiential if this community is to pull out of the mess it is in. Totally agree with Wilson(11).
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I agree wholeheartedly with Dorgay (1) – the vast majority of the working populace have no connection to the events that happened here in 1945 and as such it would be just another free day off.
For those of us that do have connections and want to celebrate, well we can happily do this on the Sunday and still make it to work the next day – or is it obligatory to get extremely drunk and need the Monday to recover?
Jersey strives to be a major player on the global financial stage and cannot afford to be closing all the banks and finance houses whilst our competitors in London are still trading. Seeing as maybe 95% of the bankers couldn’t care less about our Liberation, it would seem to me that the States have made the correct decision.
Just for the record, I do speak as a person whose grandparents were liberated (indeed as part of the T.A. I even took part in the re-enactment ceremony a few years back!), and I would thoroughly enjoy an extra day off work! However I just don’t think it necessary to make it a full public holiday.
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Don’t get me wrong, I am normally, like the seeming vast majority of people over here greedy and lazy enough to want any free day off work if I can get it – if the queen were to drop her handbag, or break a nail, I would be willing to take a day off in sympathy or celebration with no problem.
However on this occassion I strongly agree that Liberation Day is May 9th. That date is a definite, it will never change. Any one that wants to can celebrate Liberation Day, even though it is a Sunday can do so, local or visitor alike. There is no need to make Monday 10th a holiday.
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All interestering comments but didnt Boxing day always fall on the 26th Dec not 2 days later our states changed that why The Island sold its self out to finance years ago Can any one answer why it is a bank holiday when it falls during the week but not at week ends Why do we have 2 totally meaninless bank holidays in May as standard . People are allowed to have their opionions and comment because many people gave up everything for them to be able to do that . What sums it up for me was at the rememberence service in 2009 when people didnt even have the respect to stand still for the 2 minitue silence I could go on but really what has been lost is respect and honour like England with St George`s Day most other countries seem to be pourd of their history
It is not about an extra day off it is about making sure that the Liberation of Jersey is never forgotten
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to be honest i dont think it matters what we as islanders think,as the states members cant hear our voices cause they all have there heads buried in the sand (that is till election time)
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truthseeker, the War ended in 1945 and it is about time we all moved on. The States were right in not voting this through – £1.5 Million will be saved by making this a working day and the Island needs the money more than some nostalgic whim.
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arbeit macht frei, this is why we all need to remember
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its been 65 years when are we going to put this war to rest i am an ex soldier of northern irland and its affected me for the last 20 years to the fact i still see a shrink and have too take chill pills,i think most people just want to get a free day off. they dont have any idea of the suffering that the people of the occupation felt! but hey ho thats just my opinion i think the general public are just getting very lazy. lets face it we are all moneing about wage raise’s this years if our companies have to give a free day off where do you think the funds are gona come from (helllo)
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Does France ‘change’ Bastille Day, or America ‘Move’ 4th July?
NO, 9th May is the day, and it devalues it to arbitrarily move it. Those who suffered and died as a result of the Occupation would be appalled that some people simply view it as an excuse for a day off. It’s a day to reflect on just how close to the edge the Western world came.
It’s not as if theres a shortage of Bank Holidays in May anyway!
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People refer to it as being an “extra day off” but in fact making the 10th May a bank holiday this year would only give people the same number of bank holidays as they did in 2008, 2007 and 2006 etc.
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Allan (comment 10)You surely cannot expect anyone to take a poll on Facebook seriously-last time I went on Facebook my young nephew had “joined” a total of twenty seven “causes” in one evening!As several others are saying here Liberation Day is May 9th so what has May 10th got to do with anything?I suspect it is younger people and people who know nothing about the actual Liberation or Jersey history who are moaning about a day off.I asked my father the other night for his opinion as he was part of the liberating forces but he’s not bothered either way as he always plays golf on Mondays!
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How sad it is that the decision not to approve Liberation Day was made. We are always extolling young people to have and take more social responsibility and yet on a day where families can participate in activities and rememberance that message is discarded. Maybe only a few people still live in Jersey that were here during the occupation but do the reduced numbers make what they survived and endured any the less significant or tragic. I am concerned that we make all the right social noises but the only thing that really speaks is money.
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I wonder how many of the anti-May 10th holiday posters were pro moving boxing day to December 28th?? Double standards…….
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Being part German I always take a day off work to celebrate ‘Surrender Day’.
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Reading some posts, the arguement seems to have shifted from ‘should an extra day be given off’ to ‘should it be a bank holiday at all’.
In response to those who think that Liberation Day is ‘past it’s sell by date’ and no longer significant to many people, then perhaps we should be applying the same principle to Xmas Day. Many people are not Christian, yet still expect a day off if Xmas Day falls on a weekend.
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in my general opinion is that every bank hoilday should be treated the same.when christmas lands on a weekend there is no hesitation in allowing us to have two extra days the monday and tuesday which is not the 25th or 26th so these people should go back to work? am sure they would say something thing then and am guessing that that they dont go to church every sunday. liberation day should be respected in menory of the millons that lost their lives for the life we have to day
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To Carol Le Quesne (comment 25)I don’t understand why you think Liberation Day has not been approved-it is on May 9th(Sunday)It is an extra day off which has not been “approved” but this has no impact on the actual day itself and families and young people will be able to celebrate exactly as they wish.If you want to teach young people about social responsibility surely that doesn’t mean how to get a day off work whenever possible?
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Carol Le Quesne 25. Where have you got the idea from that Liberation Day has not been approved this year. As far as I am aware it is still on 9th May. Always has been always will be. There will I am sure be plenty of opportunity on that day for families to participate in activities and rememberance and demonstrate social responsibility.
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ha ha are you all telling me if you went to work this monday and your boss said hey take tuesday off, you would turn round and say nope i am not lazy, greedy dont want a day to spend with family and relax etc so ill come in…yeah right, get real and wake up life is short any extra time to spend with family friends and living it is A ok by me. in this day and age where work takes up the majority of our time apart from sleeping any extra day off to spend with the family, relaxing and living life is a bonus. USA offer a monday holiday when there holidays fall on a sunday or saturday and many other countries do too. I really cant believe there are people against an extra day off from work which could be used as additional family time in this very short lives we lead. maybe any body not of a religeous belief on certain days will go to work as a gesture of goodwill rather than staying off…i doubt it.
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Liberation day should be celebrated on the specific date that we were liberated, if you really want to celebrate on a monday just wait until next year!!
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quite agree , bob fleming(2). the quaily of life
has eroded over the years.
one only has to see the old photos of the number who turned out to watch a sand race meeting or similar, the walls of st ouens beach were packed , the days when thursday afternoon town shops (some) shut, and enjoyed life, yes they did open saturday.i dislike being forced to work on liberation day, when it falls in the working week,brittany celebrate too, mind you the french are laid back . and not all pray to the money god.
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Tobias
“I agree wholeheartedly with Dorgay (1) – the vast majority of the working populace have no connection to the events that happened here in 1945 and as such it would be just another free day off.
That is not really the point is it!!
Do you think that there are any Americans who were around during their independence?????
Furthermore to your comment “Jersey strives to be a major player on the global financial stage and cannot afford to be closing all the banks and finance houses whilst our competitors in London are still trading. Seeing as maybe 95% of the bankers couldn’t care less about our Liberation, it would seem to me that the States have made the correct decision.”
Please tell me when the banks have closed on any other Liberation Day (apart from weekends). Most banks offer a skeletal staff and give those who have opted to work time in lieu. So your argument is null and void….please find out your facts before spouting nonsense.
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God’s Mentor
I am now of the opinion that you only post comments on these forums just to antagonise.
You have no intelligent or valuable input.
If you hate Jersey so much (as you have clearly proven in other topics) then why do you stay?
I notice you never answered my question on what type of J-Cat “essential” you are……perhaps it’s because you know yourself how fortunate you are to be labelled with this status. Perhaps you may not have been afforded the same status in your own home town?
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10 May as a surrogate Liberation Day? No way!
The work ethic on this island is appalling, with people grasping at any excuse to skive off from work and still get paid.
That is NOT the rationale behind Liberation Day.
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I had Sunday off already, however i’ll be parading with respect, should I bother for the states as they are full of money grabbing idiots who are the new occupiers?
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Response to John (and others)
There have been comments amde about what happens in other countries when their Public Holidays fall on a Sunday. It is quite interesting to not that in the USA this year, their National Holiday, 4th July, falls on a Sunday too. A quick search took me to this site:
http://www.opm.gov/Operating_Status_Schedules/fedhol/2010.asp
which states: ‘July 4, 2010 (the legal public holiday for Independence Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, July 5, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)’
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As I’ve said earlier….
How can you justify an afternoon off work for Battle of Flowers and not a day off for a significantly more important occasion like Liberation Day??!!
It’s not about saving £1.5 million because this would not actually be an issue. Like every other Liberation Day the banks would still open (usually with a skeletal staff).
It’s about time the States did more to involve the community in it’s celebrations……how about street parties, concerts etc….lets make a carnival (and potential tourist attraction) of it.
It is a celebration of FREEDOM….and we all like freedom don’t we?
We all know how divided the population of Jersey REALLY is so this would be a great occasion to bfring everyone together to celebrate and appreciate the freedom which we may not have had…..and some countries worldwide still don’t!
Ironically, it seems that there are some of you who are still not FREE because you are a prisoner to greed and the dictatorship of money!
We are all a long time dead, so let’s try to enjoy the time we have alive instead of working ourselves into early graves!
Just a thought…..
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BS Deluxe (35) – not having a bad day are we?????
You seem to have missed the point of my post somewhat.
“Do you think that there are any Americans who were around during their independence?????”
Nope, but Americans still have a direct connection to their independence day by virtue of the fact that they are of American descent. Whereas the workforce in Jersey that would be directly affected by 10th May 2010 being a bank holiday would be predominantly made up of people whose heritage is English, Portuguese, and Polish. Yes yes yes I’m well aware that they are all ‘proper’ Jersey people as soon as they decide to make this their home, and this is not having a go at ‘newcomers’ – I’m just pointing out that they have no link to anyone that was here during the Occupation. As such this day is only important to the older generations, who are not at work anyway and thus uneffected by the decision, and to the odd 5% that are actually crapauds and want to keep the day special. Well, as a crapaud myself, I do want to keep the day special – which is why I will be marking it, on May 9th as is traditional.
As pointed out by a lady from Guernsey in a separate thread, making May 10th a bank holiday will just mean that town is full of drunken chavs enjoying a free day off work at the taxpayers expense, with little or no understanding of why the day is even a holiday.
The second part of your rant (“Please tell me when the banks have closed on any other Liberation Day”) ok well the bank I work for was closed in 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005. By the way, I did check this before posting, just to ensure I don’t infuriate you by “not finding out my facts before posting nonsense”.
Finally, as you have totally misinterpreted my comments and chosen instead just to rubbish them, I would in fact say that it is YOUR comments that are “null and void” and are “spouting nonsense”.
BS by name, BS by nature, it would seem.
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@ Tobias. I absolutley agree. If it’s irrelevant to some, then scrap it for all. I am glad there are some of us who think in this vein.
Obviously then you will be agree that Xmas Day should also not be considered a bank holiday.
Yes yes yes I’m well aware that there are Christian people out there people and this is not having a go at ‘them’ – I’m just pointing out that they have no link to anyone that was around when Jesus was born. As such this day is only important to lots of really old dead people, who are not at work anyway and to those that are actually christians and want to keep the day special. Why don’t they take it off as a holiday.
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well Tobias 41
All I can say is that perhaps the bank you work for is not so large and would therefore not contribute so much to the guestimated loss of £1.5 million anyway.The larger banks I do and have worked for are on the larger end of the scale and I can assure you that none of them have fully closed on Liberation Day…..not least because the rest of the world (and in particular London, where most connections are) are still trading.
You say “Americans still have a direct connection to their independence day by virtue of the fact that they are of American descent.”
Can you prove this in the same way you can, presumably, prove “I’m just pointing out that they have no link to anyone that was here during the Occupation”.
Last time I looked USA was a multinational country…..similar to that of Jersey but obviously on a much larger scale.
Besides, it is an actual event that happened in Jersey. You cannot change history because people may have re-located or passed on.
Should we all just forget what happened just because there is no-one around who remembers it firsthand?
Shame on you.
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Monty can you get these businessmen types (from what I can see) who voted against it to reverse their decision please? As far as I am concerned it should be treated as a bank holiday and a day given in lieu if it falls on a Sunday. This needs doing, or else businesses will be expecting their employees to turn up, or use one of their day’s annual leave for this, which they shouldn’t have to do as far as I am concerned.
In my opinion all this will do is encourage some people to take a sicky as an act of definance to big business. From what I can see more and more people are getting fed up with less and less to show for their work efforts, and their wages staying the same or even go down in some instances.
I think the states couldn’t have done a better job of winding people up especially with Guernsey giving the Monday off.
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BS Deluxe
I did actually type a long-winded answer to your post above but deleted it having reviewed the contents and decided agains petty tit-for-tat postings which go off the main topic anyway.
Suffice to say we will just have to agree to disagree on this matter, I think you will find from the majority of the posts above that plenty of people are seeing this argument from different sides so it’s hardly a case of I’m right and you’re wrong, or vice-versa.
And that, I would point out to you, is the whole point of these forums – to encourage healthy debate from people that have differing opinions. It’s a shame that certain people here – yourself in particular in this instance – seem to attempt to ridicule anyone who disagrees with them.
I quote from your very recent comments in this very thread: “find out your facts before spouting nonsense”
“Shame on you”
“You have no intelligent or valuable input”
Well well well, that sounds unlike healthy debate and more like a baby throwing his toys out of the pram. I guess in future we should all agree with you to keep the peace.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy celebrating Liberation Day, whether you decide to celebrate it on the 9th as is historic, or perhaps go to Guernsey for the day and celebrate on the 10th instead.
A betot mon vie
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45 Tobias
That we shall…..agree to disagree.
I am fully aware of what these forums are for and have no way “ridiculed anyone who disagrees with me”, but maybe I have to those who are talking nonsense.
You quote me twice from the same post to God’s Mentor and if you took the time to see why I posted those comments to him then you’d understand my post. It was worthwhile criticism under the circumstances.
And as for my comment to you….regarding your comments that all banks would close for Liberation Day. I stand by my comments to you because I know full well (and probably most of the finance workers who have contributed to this forum do too) that not all the banks do close. How do I know? Because I often work on Liberation Day and take the time in lieu. So, yes, in that instance I feel you are not stating the absolute truth.
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Totally agree with you Tobias – poor old BS’er totally unaware that he is guilty of the very crimes he accuses others of committing.
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It might be a little late for this thread, however there are many comments from people of all ages and generations, the older genration mostly against the extra day, and the younger generation mostly for the extra day, but in these ‘modern times’ a growing percentage of the populace are in fact working on Sundays, and therefore this should be the ‘bank holiday’ and Liberation Day celebrated on it’s correct day, May 9th. If you were to make May 10th the bank holiday, would you still be expecting people to work on May 9th? The very day they may wish to celebrate Libveration Day?
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I really feel that the majority of the Islanders feel the states have got it right first time around and as for you Monty this is not America the land of plenty
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I am slightly confused as to why people are getting more involved in tit for tat arguing with each other than an adult debate on the topic at hand.
Anyway, .. I am not old enough to have been around during the liberation, and my parents would have been too young to have any significant memories other than perhaps certain meals being the staple, though my only comments would be as follows:-
1. Have extra days been awarded in the past when falling on a weekend? From memory I would so no, but am aware that I could be wrong.
2. What is actually being remembered? In my opinion, Jersey being liberated from Nazi occupation, which happened (finally) on the 9th.
3. I (and i do mean I in the sense of this is just my humble opinion) Don’t really think it makes any difference if an extra day is awarded or not, the date is the date. Something is being remembered for occuring on a specific date, rather like a birthday in a sense. You wouldn’t really celebrate that a day late.
4. Yes, agreed .. An extra day off is ALWAYS nice, especially as you are getting paid for it, but I agree with the comment above from Alan (48) what about the people who are already working on the 9th? Do they get a day of in lieu? .,. Well obvioulsy not, so why should people essentially who are not even working on the “special” date?
5. It is supposed to be a day of rememberance, for an atrocity that happened and the wrong was made right (in a sense) so therefore, we shouldn’t be angry about it, .. or insulting people, ….
It has not been given as a holdiay, they are not going to change there minds and any other to/fro on the subject isn’t going to change anything other than how long you have (perhaps) not working at what you are being paid to do and typing responses instead ,.. ..
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Liberation day should be celebrated on May 9th no matter what day of the week it falls.
Surely the states should have declared 9th May as a national holidays applying the same rules for trading as when Christmas day falls on a week end. Couldn’t they add this to law to get it over and done with and stop the states wasteing tax payers money discussing it every year.
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One thing’s for sure, like the States decision or loathe it, the States did indeed make a decision – yes, many will agree with, many won’t, bit it’s consistent with previous years, is hardly outrageous – but Trumped up Tadier decides that he is an anointed one who can simply call for a rematch because he didn’t like the result under the devious banner of a holiday for Friday 7th which no-one – absolutely no-one – had suggested, would suggest, could justify or reasonably support. Who is this guy who shows such contempt for the States? Did he seriously say that he thought the vote would go on the nod so he didn’t bother contributing – is he really so powerful and almighty that had he actually spoken, minds would have changed, and everyone would have stood and clapped and cheered his name?What arrogance! Perhaps Syvret could put him up wherever he is resting his head in the UK.
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Liberation day is supposed to mark a day of freedom? are we free of rule? I think we should have a free day even if it is paid. Free of bank interest. Freedom to do what ever we want, even if that is a duvet day, and get paid for it.
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oh and by the was What day is boxing day the 26th December or the 28th of december? its the 26th
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A bit of zero tolerance/broken window policing would help to start. Spitting seems to be prevalent over here courtesy of people aping our Premier League neaderthols. Maybe an on the spot £50 fine for that? And yes we do seem to have more than our fair share of thuggish doormen which doesn’t help. Why do most of the organisations over who employ them insist that they are employed by separate companies? Because they know that there are obvious risks from their behaviour and they don’t want to be held legally responsible. Ban that and get less thugs on the door.
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