For many people it’s just another holiday that the world celebrates, but the truth is that this day has a long history behind it. It started on the 1st of May 1886, when thousands of workers in Chicago (USA) organized a demonstration with the purpose of claiming the reduction of working hours to 8 hours daily.
The event led to a general strike and two days later (on 3rd of May 1886), a small insurrection which gave complications, because workers and police were involved in battle fields, ending with the death of some demonstrators.
The following day, May 4th, it was organized a new event to protest what happened the previous days, and finished with the launch of a bomb against the police which killed 7 police agents. Consequently, it was opened fire against the crowd, and twelve people died and dozens were injured. These events have become known as the Revolt of Haymarket.
Three years later, on 20th of June 1889, during the Second Socialist International it was decided to make an annual event in order to fight for the eight hours of work per day, and it was chosen the 1st of May as a tribute to union wars of Chicago.
At 1st of May 1891 a demonstration in northern France also went wrong because the crowd was dispersed by the police, resulting in the death of ten demonstrators. This new drama serves to reinforce the day as a day of fighting. Some months later, the Socialist International of Brussels proclaims the 1st of May as the international day to claim working conditions.
The first country to establish the day as holiday was France, on 23 of April 1919, after ratifying the eight-hour working day. In Portugal, it was only in 1974, following the euphoria of April, the people started up celebrating the first of May.
For most of the people the labor day is just another excuse for don´t work. but its nice to know the story behind it, so I think we should give more importance to the labor day because, of the meaning that it still has, because there still his exploitation in work.
ResponderEliminarYour post is very interesting. I love to learn more about this day because I knew it was celebrated but did not know why. It was a good way to give more to know about the changing world of work throughout history. It is extraordinary how these workers fought for their rights and able to make a difference.
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