Before the fall of the Soviet Union, International Workers’ Day or
Labor Day or May Day,
Upon the fall of the Soviet Union and installation of Boris Yeltsin
by the West in 1991, activities of the Communist party were limited in Russia
(and banned in some former republics such as in Turkmenistan, Latvia,
Lithuania, and Estonia), and official May Day parades were not organized by the
government. This year, it has resumed again in Red Square with participation of
more than two million people. Demonstrations were also reported from several
countries of the world such as Turkey (where demonstrators were tear gassed in
Taksim Square), Cambodia (with reports of five injuries), Indonesia (with about
50,000 demonstrators), China, South Korea, and Malaysia. Many organizers in the
West, such as in the US, Australia, and Europe, decided to celebrate
International Workers’ Day this coming Saturday May 3rd.
.jpg)
Wikipedia reports May Day in many countries, and reactions to this
day by the regimes governing those countries. Presently, many people with
different ideologies recognize this day and celebrate it all around the world. Although
the majority of governments suppress people celebrating this day on the streets,
some make an attempt to keep this day memorable. The following is copied from
international May Day section of Wikipedia:
Americas
Argentina
In Argentina, Workers'
Day is an official holiday, and is frequently associated with the labor unions
situated in the nation. During the day, many celebrations related to the labor
movements take place, including demonstrations in major cities. It is also
customary to organize meetings at friends' places, at the sports associations,
at the workplace, or at the labor unions for typically local food,
usually locro or asado.
The first Workers' Day celebration was in 1890, when Argentinean
unions, controlled in those days by socialists and anarchists, organized
several joint celebrations at Buenos Aires and other cities, at the same
time that the international labor movement celebrated it for the first time.[12]
In 1930, it was established as official holiday by the first
president elected after the passage of the Sáenz Peña Law,
the radical Hipólito Yrigoyen.
The day became particularly relevant during the worker-oriented
government of Juan D. Perón (1946–1955).
He permitted and endorsed national recognition of the holiday during his tenure
in office.
BoliviaMay 1 is known as
Labour Day and is considered a public holiday. Almost all workers tend to
respect it.
Brazil
In Brazil, Workers' Day is an official holiday,
and unions commemorate it with day-long public events. It is also when salaries
for most professional categories and the minimum wage are traditionally
readjusted.
Canada
See also: Labour Day
A notice about an anti-capitalist rally on Worker's Day in Montreal
(2011)
In Canada, Labour Day is celebrated in September. In 1894, the
government of Prime Minister John Sparrow David
Thompson declared the first Monday in September as Canada's
official Labour Day. Labor Day in the the United States is on the same day.
May Day is however marked by unions and leftists. Celebrations by
socialist, anarchist and anti-globalization activists
occur on May 1 in Canada[citation needed].
May Day is an important day of trade-union and community group protest in the
province of Quebec (though not a provincial stat holiday).
Celebration of the International Labour Day (or "International Workers'
Day"; French translation: Journée internationale des travailleurs)
in Montreal goes back to 1906, organised by
the Mutual Aid circle. The tradition had a renaissance at the time of a mass
strike in 1972. On the 1973 May Day, the first contemporary demonstration was
organised by the major trade union confederations; over 30 000 trade unionists
took part in this demonstration.
Further, it is the customary date on which the minimum wage rises.
Chile
President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo decreed
May 1 a national holiday in 1931, in honor of the dignity of workers.[15] All stores and public services
must close for the entire day, and the major trade unions of Chile, represented
in the national organization Central Unitaria de
Trabajadores, organize rallies during the morning hours, with
festivities and cookouts in the later part of the day, in all the major cities
of Chile. During these rallies, representatives of the major left-wing
political parties speak to the assemblies on the issues of the day concerning
workers’ rights.
Colombia
May 1 has long been recognized as labor day or Dia del Trabajo and
almost all workers respect it as a national holiday. As in many other
countries, it is common to see rallies by the trade unions in all over the main
regional capitals of the country.
Costa Rica
It is recognized as a public holiday, and at the same time an
important Government set of activities, this day the President of the Republic
gives a speech to the citizens and the Legislature members about the duties
that were taken through the previous year. The president of the Legislature is
also chosen by its members.
Cuba
This day is known as Día del Trabajo (Labor Day) in Cuba.
People march in the streets, showing their support to their local socialist
government and the Revolution during
the whole morning. La Habana or Santiago de Cuba are some of the cities
where generally more people march. In 2011, guests from 73 countries and 167
representatives of labor and social organizations worldwide joined the march in
Habana.
Dominican Republic
May 1st is a national holiday which is celebrated by workers'
parades and demonstration. Día del Trabajo
Ecuador
It is recognized as a public holiday on May 1. Día
del Trabajo
El
Salvador
It is an official holiday and it is commemorated with parades.
Guatemala
May 1 is an official public holiday for Labor Day (know as Día
del Trabajo).
Mexico
May 1 is a Federal holiday known as Día del Trabajo or
Labor Day. It also commemorates the Cananea Mine Strike of 1906 in the Mexican
state of Sonora.
Panama
May 1 is an official public holiday for Labor Day (know as Día
del Trabajo).
Peru
May 1 is an official public holiday for Labor Day (Día del Trabajo).
United States
.jpg)
Socialists in Union Square, N.Y.C. on May 1st 1912
In the United States, efforts to switch Labor Day from September to
May 1 have not been successful. In 1921, following the Russian Revolution of 1917,
May 1 was promoted as "Americanization Day"
by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and
other groups in opposition to communism.
It became an annual event, sometimes featuring large rallies. In 1949,
Americanization Day was renamed to Loyalty Day. In 1958, the U.S. Congress declared Loyalty Day, the
U.S. recognition of May 1, a national holiday; that same year, U.S.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed
May 1 Law Day as well.
Unions and union locals in the United States — especially in urban
areas with strong support for organized labor — have maintained a connection
with labor traditions through their own unofficial observances on May 1. Some
of the largest examples of this occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when
hundreds of thousands of workers marched in May Day parades in New York's Union Square. Radical organizations
including anarchist groups and
socialist and communist parties have kept the May Day tradition
alive with rallies and demonstrations in such cities as New York, Chicago and
Seattle, often with major union backing.
In 2006, May 1 was chosen by mostly Latino immigrant groups in the United States as
the day for the Great American Boycott,
a general strike of
undocumented immigrant workers and supporters to protest H.R. 4437, immigration reform legislation which
they felt was draconian. From April 10 to May 1 of that year, millions of
immigrant families in the U.S. called for immigrant rights, workers rights and
amnesty for undocumented workers. They were joined by socialist and other
leftist organizations on May 1. On May 1, 2007, a mostly peaceful
demonstration in Los Angeles in
support of undocumented immigrant workers ended with a widely televised dispersal by police
officers. In March 2008, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced
that dockworkers will move no cargo at any West Coast ports
on May 1, 2008, as a protest against the continuation of the Iraq Warand the diversion of resources from
domestic needs. For May Day 2010, marches were being planned in many
cities uniting immigrant and native workers including New York, San
Francisco, Boston, AlbanyChicago and Los Angeles most of whom
protested against the Arizona Senate Bill 1070
On May 1, 2012, tens of thousands marched in the streets of New
York and around the US to commemorate May Day as the worker's holiday and to
protest the dismal state of the economy, the growing divide between the rich
and the poor and the status quo of economic inequality. Members of Occupy Wall Street and
labor unions held protests together in a number of cities in the United States
and Canada on May 1, 2012 to commemorate May Day.
Uruguay
In Uruguay, May 1 – Workers' Day – is an official holiday. Even
when it is associated with labor unions, almost all workers tend to respect it.
Since the late 1990s, the main event takes place at the First of May Square.
Venezuela
May 1 is an official holiday in Venezuela. El Día del
Trabajador is celebrated on May 1 in Venezuela since 1936, but from 1938
to 1945 it was held on 24 July, by an order of Eleazar López Contreras.
However, Isaías Medina Angarita changed
it back to May 1 in 1945.
Asia
Bahrain
In Bahrain, May 1 is known as Labour Day and is considered a public
holiday.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, it is observed on 1 May and is a Government holiday.
Cambodia
In Cambodia, it is known as International Labour Day and it is a
public holiday.
China
May 1 is a statutory holiday in the People's Republic of China.
Prior to 2008, it was a three-day holiday, but is now just the one day.
However, it is usually supplemented by two other days to give the appearance of
a three-day holiday, but not being statutory holidays the extra days have to be
'made up' by working either the preceding or following weekend.
For example, in 2013, May 1 falls on the Wednesday. Most
workplaces, including all government offices, will take Monday 29 April,
Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday May 1 off. As the first two days are not
statutory holidays they have to be 'made up' by working the preceding weekend
(27 and 28 April).
Hong Kong
May 1 is known as Labour Day and has been considered a public
holiday since 1999.
India
Triumph of Labour at
the Marina Beach in Chennai.
The first May Day celebration in India was organised in Madras (now Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of
Hindustan on 1 May 1923. This was also the first time
the red flag was
used in India. The party leaderSingaravelu Chettiar made
arrangements to celebrate May Day in two places in 1923. One meeting was held
at the beach opposite to the Madras High Court; the other meeting was held
at the Triplicane beach. The Hindunewspaper, published from Madras
reported,
The Labour Kisan party has introduced May Day celebrations in
Madras. Comrade Singaravelar presided over the meeting. A resolution was passed
stating that the government should declare May Day as a holiday. The president
of the party explained the non-violent principles of the party. There was a
request for financial aid. It was emphasized that workers of the world must
unite to achieve independence.
May Day is a public holiday in several parts of the country. The
holiday is tied to labour movements for communist and socialist political
parties. Labour Day is known as "Kamgar Din" in Hindi, "Kamgar Divas" in Marathi and
"Uzhaipalar Dinam" in Tamil. On this day, banks and other public
organisations in Assam, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, West Bengal and Orissa observe a holiday.[36] In North India, Labour Day is mostly not given its
previous importance as a holiday now.
May 1 is also celebrated as "Maharashtra Day" & "Gujarat Day" to mark the date in 1960,
when the two western states attained statehood after the erstwhile Bombay State was divided on linguistic
lines. Maharashtra Day is held at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. The Governor of the state takes the
salute at the ceremonial parade, comprising members of the state reserve police
force, Brihanmumbai Commando Force, home guards, civil defence, fire brigade
and city police. Schools and offices in Maharashtra remain closed on May
1. A similar parade is held to celebrate Gujarat Day in Gandhinagar.
Indonesia
May Day (often referred locally as Labor Day) in Indonesia was
first observed as a public holiday from 2014. Every year on the day, labors
take over the streets in major cities across the country, voicing their demands
for better income & a supportive policy by the ministries.
Iran
In Iran, May 1 is known as the International Workers' Day but it is
not a public holiday.
Iraq
In Iraq, it is known as the International Workers' Day and it is a
public holiday.
Israel
In the State of Israel,
May 1 is a time to celebrate justice for workers. however, it is not an
official holiday, The Avodah affiliated organizations and the Histadrut recognize this international
holiday.
Japan
2011 National Trade Union
Council (Zenrokyo)May Day march, Tokyo.
May Day is not officially designated by the Japanese government as
a national holiday, but as it lies between other national holidays, it is a
day-off work for the vast majority of Japanese workers. Many employers give it
as a day-off by, and otherwise workers take it as "paid leave". 1 May
1 occurs during "Golden Week",
together with 29 April ("Shōwa Day"), 3 May ("Constitution Memorial Day"),
4 May ("Greenery Day")
and 5 May ("Children's Day").
Workers generally take the day off work not so much to join street rallies or
labour union gatherings, but more to go on holiday for several consecutive days
(in Japanese corporate culture, taking weekdays off for personal pleasure is
widely frowned upon).
Some major labour unions organise rallies and demonstrations
in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Japan has a long history of labour
activism and since 1945, has had a communist and socialist party in the Diet. In 2008, the National Confederation of
Trade Unions (Zenrōren) held
a rally in Yoyogi Park attended
by 44,000 participants, while the National Trade Unions Council (Zenrōkyō) held its May Day rally at Hibiya Park. Rengō, the largest Japanese trade union, held
its May Day rally on the following Saturday (3 May), allegedly to distance
itself from the more radical labour unions.
Jordan
May 1 is known as Labour Day and is considered a public holiday.
Korea
North Korea
In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, May 1 is
known as International Workers' Day, and is a public holiday. The Rungnado May Day Stadium in
the capital of Pyongyang was
built in honor of the holiday.
South Korea
In the Republic of Korea,
May 1 is known simply as "Workers' Day". It is not a public holiday.
Lebanon
May 1 is known as the Workers' Day and is considered a public
holiday. From the 1960s through the 1990s, left-wing parties and worker's
unions organized major marches on this day. Recently[when?], only symbolic marches take place
on this day.
Macau
May 1 is officially known as Dia do
Trabalhador in Portuguese.
It is a public holiday in the SAR.
Malaysia
Malaysia began observing the holiday in
1972 following an announcement by the late Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, Ismail Abdul Rahman.
Maldives
Maldives first observed the holiday in
2011, after a declaration by President Mohamed Nasheed. He noted that this move
highlighted the government’s commitment as well as efforts of private parties
to protect and promote workers’ rights in the Maldives.[41]
Myanmar
In Myanmar, May 1 is known as Labour Day and is considered a public
holiday.
Nepal
May Day has been celebrated in Nepal since 1963. The day became a public holiday
in 2007
Pakistan
International Labour Day is observed in Pakistan on May 1 to
commemorate the social and economic achievements of workers. It is a public and
national holiday. All government and non-government organizations, factories
and educational institutions remain close on this day.
Philippines
May 1 is known as Labor Day and is a public holiday in the Philippines. On this day,
labor organizations and unions hold protests in major cities. On May 1, 1903,
during the American colonial period the Union Obrera Democratica Filipina (Filipino
Democratic Labor Union) held a 100,000-person[44] rally in front of the Malacañan Palace demanding
workers' economic rights and Philippine independence.[citation needed] Ten
years later, the first official[by whom?] celebration was held on
May 1, 1913 when 36 labor unions convened for a congress in Manila.[44] On May 1, 2001, a mass
demonstration occurred near Malacañang Palace known
as EDSA 3 or May 1 Riots.
During the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a policy
was adopted called holiday economics policy that moved
holidays to either a Monday or a Friday to create a long weekend of three days. In 2002, Labor
Day was moved to April 29. Labor groups protested, as they accused the Arroyo
administration of belittling the holiday. By 2008, Labor Day was excluded
in the holiday economics policy, returning the commemorations every May 1, no
matter what day of the week it falls under.
Singapore
In Singapore, it is known as Labour Day and it is a public holiday.
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, it is observed on May 1 and is a Government and
public holiday. The government has held official May Day celebrations in major
towns and cities, with the largest being in the capital, Colombo. During celebrations, it is common to
witness party leaders greeting the crowds. The United People's Freedom
Alliance usually spearheads the political aspect of the Sri
Lankan May Day. Workers frequently carry banners with political slogans and
many parties decorate their vehicles.
Syria
May 1 is known as Labour Day and is considered a public holiday
throughout the nation.
Taiwan
In the Republic of China,
May 1 is an official public holiday. Here it is known as Labour Day and it is
an official public holiday.
Thailand
In Thailand, the day is known in English as National Labour Day,
and is one of 16 official public holidays in
Thailand.
United Arab Emirates
In UAE, it is not officially observed and is a normal working day.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, it is known as International Labor Day and is a public
holiday. The word International Workers' Day in Vietnamese is Ngày Quốc tế
Lao động . It was first celebrated in 1913.
Europe
Eastern bloc under
Communist governments
Eastern Bloc countries
such as the Soviet Union and most countries of central and eastern Europe that
were under the rule of Communist governments held official May Day celebrations
in every town and city, during which party leaders greeted the crowds. Workers
carried banners with political slogans and many companies decorated their
company cars. The biggest celebration of May 1 usually occurred in the capital
of a particular communist country and usually included a military display and
the presence of the president and the secretary general of the Party. In Poland, since 1982, party leaders led the
official parades, and in 1990, May 1 was renamed "State Holiday." In
Hungary, May Day was officially celebrated under the Communist regime, and
remains a public holiday. Traditionally, the day was marked by dancing around
designated "May trees."
Austria
Labour Day ("Tag der Arbeit") or also called
"Staatsfeiertag" is an official holiday in Austria.
Belgium
In Belgium, Labour Day (Dutch: "Dag van de Arbeid",
"Feest van de Arbeid", French: "Journée des Travailleurs",
"Fête du Travail"), is observed on May 1 and is an official holiday.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 1 (Bosnian and Serbian: Prvi
Maj/Први Mај, Croatian: Prvi Svibanj) is official holiday at the national
level. Most people celebrate this holiday by visiting natural parks and
resorts. Additionally, in some places public events are organized.
Bulgaria
Labor Day is one of the official holidays in Bulgaria where it is
known as Labor Day and International Workers' Solidarity Day (Ден на
труда и на международната работническа солидарност). The first attempt to
celebrate it was in 1890 by the Bulgarian Topographical Association. In 1939
–49 years later, Labour Day was declared an official holiday. Since 1945 the
communist authorities in the People's Republic of Bulgaria began to celebrate
the holiday every year. After the end of socialism in Bulgaria in 1989 Labour
Day continues to be an official and public holiday, but state authorities are
not committed to the organization of mass events. It is celebrated annually on
May 1.
Croatia
In Croatia, May 1 is a national holiday. People celebrate all over
the country. In Zagreb, the
capital, most people go to Maksimir Park, which is located at east part of
Zagreb. In Split, the largest city on the coast, people go to Marjan, a
park-forest at the western end of Split peninsula. Many public events are
organized and held all over the country where military style bean soup is given
out to all people as a symbol of a real workers dish and red carnations as a
symbol of blood of fallen workers from the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, 1 May is an official and national holiday
known as Labour Day (Svátek práce in Czech).
Denmark
In Denmark, May 1
is not an official holiday, but most people do get one half or a whole day off.
The day is celebrated in the biggest cities with speeches from politicians etc.
Finland
In Finland, 1 May is an official and national holiday. Apart from
Workers' Day (officially: "suomalaisen työn päivä" = day of Finnish
labour), it is also celebrated as a feast of students, and spring.
France
In France, 1 May is a public holiday. It is, in fact, the only day
of the year on which employees are legally obliged to be given leave, save
professions which cannot be interrupted due to their nature (such as workers in
hospitals and public transport).Demonstrations and marches are a
Labour Day tradition in France, where Trade Unions organize parades in major
cities to defend workers' rights. It is also customary to offer a lily of the
valley to friends or family. This custom dates back from 1561, where Charles
IX, aged 10, waiting for his accession to the throne, gave a lily of the valley
to all ladies present. Today, the fiscal administration exempts individuals and
workers organizations if any tax or administrative duties related to the sales
of lilies of the valley, provided they are gathered from the wild, and not bought
to be resold.
Georgia
Georgia (a former Soviet state), because of its Soviet past, is not
listing 1 May as a public holiday.
Germany
In April 1933, the recently installed Nazi government declared May 1 the
"Day of National Work," an official state holiday, and announced that
all celebrations were to be organized by the government. Any separate
celebrations by communists, social democrats orlabour unions were banned. After the World War II, May 1 remained a state holiday in
both East and West Germany. In communist East Germany,
workers were de facto required to participate in large
state-organized parades on Mayday. Today in Germany it is simply called
"Labour Day" ("Tag der Arbeit"), and there are numerous
demonstrations and celebrations by independent workers' organizations.
Today, Berlin witnesses yearly demonstrations on
May Day, the largest organized by labour unions, political parties and others
by the far left and Autonomen.
Since 1987, May Day has also become known for riots in some
districts of Berlin. After police actions against radical leftists in that year's
annual demonstrations, the Autonome scattered and sought cover at the ongoing
annual street fair in Kreuzberg.
Three years prior to the reunification of Germany,
violent protests would only take place in the former West Berlin. The
protesters began tipping over police cars, violently resisting arrest, and
began building barricades after
the police withdrew due to the unforeseen resistance. Cars were set on fire,
shops plundered and burned to the ground. The police eventually ended the riots
the following night. These violent forms of protests by the radical left, later
increasingly involved participants without political motivation. (Read
more: May Day in Kreuzberg)
Annual street fairs have proven an effective way to prevent riots,
and May Day in 2005 and 2006 have been among the most peaceful known to Berlin
in nearly 25 years. In recent years, neo-Nazis and other groups on the far right, such as the National Democratic Party of Germany, have used
the day to schedule public demonstrations, often leading to clashes with
left-wing protesters, which turned especially violent in Leipzig in 1998 and 2005.
May Day violence flared again in 2010. After an approved far right
demonstration was blocked by leftists, a parade by an estimated 10,000 leftists
and anarchists turned violent and resulted in an active response by Berlin
police.
Greece
In Greece May 1 is an optional public holiday. The Ministry of
Labour retains the right to classify it as an official public holiday on an
annual basis, and it customarily does so.[51] The day is called "Εργατική
Πρωτομαγιά" (lit: Workers' 1st of May) and celebrations are marked by
demonstrations to which left-wing political parties, anti-authority groups and
workers' unions participate. On May Day 2010 there were major protests all over
Greece, most notably Athens and Thessaloniki, by many left, anarchist and
communist supporters and some violent clashes by riot police who were sent out
to contain the protesters. They opposed economic reforms, an end to job losses
and wage cuts in the face of the government's proposals of massive public
spending cuts. These reforms are to fall in line with the IMF-EU-ECB loan
proposals which demand that Greece liberalize its economy and cut its public
spending and private sector wages, which many believe will decrease living standards.
Iceland
In Iceland the Labour Day (Frídagur Verkalýðsins) is a national
holiday. However many stores nowadays are open and pay higher salaries to the
workers instead on this day. A parade composed of trade unions and other group
marches through towns and cities across the country and speeches are held.
Ireland
May Day celebrations in Ireland, North and South, are
organised by the Irish Congress of Trade
Unions. Rallies take place in Belfast and Dublin and other events such as lectures,
concerts and film screenings also take place around a wider May Day festival.
Since 1994 a Public holiday in Ireland is observed on
the first Monday in May.
Italy
The first May day celebration in Italy took place in 1890. It started
initially as an attempt to celebrate workers' achievements in their struggle
for their rights and for better social and economic conditions. It was
abolished under the Fascist Regime and
immediately restored after the Second World War. (During the fascist period, a
"Holiday of the Italian labour" (Festa del lavoro italiano) was
celebrated on April 21, the date of Natale di Roma, when ancient Rome was allegedly founded.) Now, May Day
is an important celebration in Italy. Very popular is the Concerto del
Primo Maggio ("1 May's Concert"), organized by Italian Labour
Unions in Rome in Piazza San Giovanni. It is attended by more than 500,000
people every year,[citation needed] and
involves participation of many famous bands and songwriters. The concert is
usually broadcast live by Rai 3.
Lithuania
First May day is an official public holiday celebrated as
International Work Day (Tarptautinė darbo diena). First official celebrations
appeared during Soviet occupation,
but it had negative communist connotation. As Lithuania declared its Independence in 1990, Work Day lost its
public holiday status, but regained in 1996.
Macedonia
In Macedonia, May 1 is an official public holiday. People celebrate
with friends and family at traditional picnics across the country, accompanied
by the usual outdoor games, various grilled meats and beverages.
Malta
In Malta, May 1 is an official public holiday celebrated as
Worker's Day together with the religious feast of St. Joseph (Patron of
Workers). A free music event also takes place on this date.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, May 1 is not an official holiday. However,
several left-wing political parties and organizations celebrate International
Workers' Day yearly. Small demonstrations are sometimes held, mostly by
anarchist and radical socialist groups. One of the reasons labour day never got
established as a national holiday might have been the fact that the day that
used to immediately precede it, Queen's Day, was already a public holiday in
its own right.
Norway
In Norway, Labour Day or "Arbeidernes Dag" is on May 1
every year. It is an official public holiday.
Poland
In Poland, since the fall of Communism, May 1 is officially
celebrated as May Day, but is
commonly called Labour DayPortugal
In Portugal, the May 1 celebration was harshly repressed[citation needed]during
the reign of António de Oliveira
Salazar. Since the Carnation Revolution on
25 April 1974, the Worker's Day is now celebrated by the several leftist
political parties with parades and demonstrations. The first demonstration
after the Carnation Revolution, only one week after the coup, stays until today
as the biggest demonstration in the history of Portugal. It remains today an
opportunity for the several non-permanent workers groups to show their
discontent for existing working conditions, in a parade called Primeiro de
Maio (May 1st). Worker's Day also represents the unionized workers that
try to improve the working conditions of emigrant workers abroad. It is an
official public holiday.
Romania
In Romania, May 1, known as the International Labour
Day (Ziua internațională a muncii), the International Workers'
Day (Ziua internațională a oamenilor muncii), or simply 1/First of
May (1/Întâi Mai), is an official public holiday.
During the communist regime,
like in all former Eastern Bloc countries, the day was marked by large
state-organized parades in most towns and cities, to which many workers
were de facto required to participate. After the Romanian Revolution of
1989, May 1 continues to be an official public holiday, but without
any state organised events or parades. Most people celebrate together with
friends and family, organising picnics and barbecues. It is also the first day of the year
when people, especially those from the southeastern part of the country
including the capitalBucharest, go
to spend the day in one of the Romanian Black Sea resorts.
Soviet Union
May Day was celebrated illegally in Russia until the February Revolution enabled
the first legal celebration in 1917. The following year, after the Bolshevik seizure of power,
the May Day celebrations were boycotted by Mensheviks, Left Socialist
Revolutionaries andanarchists. It
became an important official holiday of the Soviet Union, celebrated with
elaborate popular parade in the centre of the major cities. The biggest
celebration was traditionally organized on the Red Square, where the General Secretary of the
CPSU and other party and government leaders stood atop Lenin's Mausoleum and
waved to the crowds. Since 1992, May Day is officially called "The Day of
Spring and Labour", and remains a major holiday in present-day Russia.
Demonstrations in Moscow have assembled around 100,000 during the
Soviet period. Around 50,000 people participated in a rally on Red Square in
1991 after which the tradition was interrupted for 13 years. Then Mikhail
Shmakov headed the Moscow Federation of Trade Unions and said what is reflected
in the TASS news archives that an action "involving Soviet Union President
Mikhail Gorbachev, Chairman of the Soviet Union Supreme Council Anatoly
Lukyanov, Chairman of the RSFSR Supreme Council Boris Yeltsin [late first
Russian president] and Chairman of the Moscow City Council Gavriil Popov will
be held under the motto Unity, Solidarity, Human Rights for Labor".[55]
After 1991, the May Day holiday turned into massive political
gatherings of supporters of radically minded politicians. For instance, an
action dubbed as "a rally of Communist-oriented organizations" was
held on Red Square in 1992. The rally began with performance of the Soviet
anthem and raising the Red Flag and ended with appeals from the leader of
opposition movement Working Moscow, Viktor Anpilov, "for early dismissal
of President Boris Yeltsin, ousting Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov from power and
putting the latter on trial".
On May Day of 2014 Head of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions Mikhail Shmakov told a news conference
that Russia is reviving a tradition to celebrate May Day at the Kremlin walls,
and a festive march will be staged on Red Square in central Moscow for the
first time since 1991.
Ukraine
A real full-fledged, massive demonstration on the occasion of the
International Day of Workers was staged in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, on May 1,
1992. Hundreds of demonstrators with red banners and with slogans "Future
is with Socialism!" "No to Capitalism!" gathered at the Monument
of Friendship dedicated to reunification of Ukraine and Russia and appealed to
the fight against nationalism and consolidation of workers.
Serbia
In Serbia, May 1 (and also May 2) is a day off work and a day out
of school. It is one of the major popular holidays, and only official holiday
from socialist times that is still officially celebrated. People celebrate it
all over the country. By tradition May 1 is celebrated by countryside picnics
and outdoor barbecue. May is marked by warm weather in Serbia. In Belgrade, the capital, most people go to Avala or Košutnjak, which are parks located in Rakovica
and Čukarica. People go around the country to enjoy nature. A major religious
holiday of Djurdjevdan is
on 6 May so quite often days off work are given to connect these two holidays
and weekend, creating a small spring break. May 1 is celebrated by most of the
population regardless of political views.
Slovenia
In Slovenia, May 1 (and also May 2) is a day off work and a day out
of school. There are many official celebrations all over the country. In Ljubljana, the capital, many people go to
Rožnik Hill in the city. On the night of April 30, bonfires are burned on many
hills.
Spain[edit]
In Spain, the May 1 celebration was established after the death
of Franco in
1975; before that, it had been celebrated during the Spanish Second Republic period
(1931–1939), but it was banned afterwards by the Franco regime. The first time
it was celebrated was in 1977, when the Communist Party of Spain was
legalized. Since then, it has become an official holiday that has been
traditionally used by trade unions and leftist parties for social and labour
vindications. Commonly, pacific demonstrations and parades occur in major and
minor cities.
Sweden
Swedish Social Democratic
Party at May Day demonstration in Stockholm,Sweden in 2006. The party has dominated
Swedish politics for nearly a century. The Trade union palace in Stockholm is seen at
the end of the picture
May 1 has been an important part of Swedish history since the late
19th century. The day was made a public holiday in 1938 but had been
celebrated by the Swedish Social Democratic
Party and the left since 1890. The first May Day
celebration gathered more than 50,000 people in central Stockholm. The crowd
went to hear speeches by the leading figures in the Swedish labour movement such
as Hjalmar Branting (later prime minister), August Palm and Hinke Bergegren. During World War I the demonstrations mainly had
a peace message and the Liberal Party also
joined the demonstrations. The 8-hour working day and women's suffrage were the principal themes
during the troubled times after World War I.
The May Day demonstrations are still an important part of Swedish
politics for the social democrats, left-wing parties and unions who use May Day
to discuss their politics. In Stockholm the Social Democratic Party always
marches towards Norra Bantorget,
the centre of the Swedish labour movement, to hold speeches in front of the
headquarters of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, while the smaller Left Party marches in larger numbers towards Kungsträdgården.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, the status of May 1 differs depending on the canton and
sometimes on the municipality. Labor Day is known as Tag der Arbeit in
German-speaking cantons, as Fête du Travail in the French-speaking
cantons, and as Festa del lavoro in the Italian-speaking canton of
Ticino.
·
In the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Jura, Neuchâtel,
and Zürich, Labor
Day is an official public holiday equal to Sundays, based on federal law (Bundesgesetz über die Arbeit in Industrie, Gewerbe und
Handel, article 20a).
·
In the cantons of Schaffhausen, Thurgau, and Ticino, Labor Day is an official "day
off" (Ruhetag). This equals in practice to an official public holiday, but
is not based on federal law and cantonal regulations may differ in details.
·
In the canton of Solothurn it
is an official half-day holiday (starting at 12 noon).
·
In the canton of Fribourg,
public servants get the afternoon off, many companies follow this practice.
·
In the canton of Aargau it is not an official holiday, but
most employees get the afternoon off.
·
In the municipalities
of Hildisrieden and Schüpfheim (both in the canton of Lucerne) as well as in Muotathal (canton of Schwyz), May 1 is an official public holiday,
but as commemoration day of the local patron saint, not as Labor Day. In the other
parts of the cantons of Lucerne and Schwyz, May 1 is a regular work day.
·
In all other cantons, May 1
is a regular work day.
The largest Labor Day celebrations in Switzerland are held in the
city of Zürich. Each year, Zürich's May 1 committee,
together with the Swiss Federation of Trade
Unions, organises a festival and May 1 rally. It is the largest
rally held on a regular basis in Switzerland.
Turkey
Flags from Istanbul may day 2012
Istanbul may day clashes in 2013
Workers marching to Taksim Square, May 1, 2012
May 1 is an official holiday celebrated in Turkey. It was a holiday
until 1981 when it was cancelled after the 1980 coup-d'état.
In 2010, the Turkish government restored the holiday after some casualties and
demonstrations.Taksim Square is
the center of the celebrations due to the Taksim Square massacre.
Workers' Day was first celebrated in 1912 in İstanbul, in 1911 in Selânik and in 1899 in İzmir. After the establishment of the Turkish
Republic, it became an official holiday. In 1924, it was forbidden by a decree
and in both 1924 and 1925, demonstrations were intervened by arm floats. In
1935, The National Assembly declared Workers' Day to be a holiday again.
During the events leading to the 1980 Turkish coup d'etat,
a massacre occurred on 1 May 1977, (Taksim Square massacre) in which unknown
people (provocateurs) opened fire on the crowd. The crowd was the biggest in
Turkish Workers' history with the number of people approximating 500,000. In
the next two years, provocations and confusion continued and peaked before the
1980 coup d'etat. The Workers' Day holiday was cancelled once again. Still,
demonstrations continued with small crowds, and in 1996, three people were
killed by police bullets, and a plain-clothes man who spied in the crowd was
revealed and lynched by workers. On the same evening, a video broadcast on TV
showed that two participants of the demonstration were lynched by far
right-wing nationalist groups and this lynching occurred in front of police
forces who were watching the scene with happy faces. Thus, 1 May 1996 has been
remembered by workers movements.
In 2007, the 30th anniversary of the Taksim square massacre,
leftist workers' unions wanted to commemorate the massacre in Taksim square.
Since the government would not let them into the square, 580–700 people were
stopped and 1 person died under police control. After these events, the
government declared 1 May as "Work and Solidarity Day" but not as a
holiday. In the next year, the day was declared as an holiday, but people were
still not allowed to gather in Taksim Square.[59] The year 2008 was remembered
with police violence in Istanbul. Police fired tear-gas grenades among the
crowds, and into hospitals and a primary school. Workers pushed forward so that
in 2010, 140,000 people gathered in Taksim, and in 2011 there were more than
half a millon demonstrators.
After 3 years of peaceful meetings in 2013, meetings in Taksim Square were forbidden by the
government. Clashes occurred between police and workers. water cannon and tear gas have been widely used.
United Kingdom
May Day activities (from 1978) are on the first Monday of the
month. In the United Kingdom in
recent years, the anti-capitalist movement
has organised a number of large protests in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Doncaster. In London, these have resulted in
clashes with the police. In 2000, the clashes ended with a branch of McDonalds being smashed and a statue
of Winston Churchill being
given a grass Mohawk hairstyle.
The Cenotaph was also defaced with graffiti.[61] In the last few years,
demonstrations have been more peaceful, with marches and gatherings,
particularly in central London. The current Conservative-led coalition
government in March 2011 announced plans to move the May Day bank holiday to
October in order to lengthen the tourist season. A London rally on May Day
is organised by the London May Day Organising Committee (LMDOC).
Oceania
Australia
While unofficial activities and commemorations associated with
International Workers' Day occur on May Day in Australia, Labour Day in the various states and
territories generally fall on other days. Only in the Northern Territory is
Labour Day celebrated on the first Monday in May, which is a public holiday
under the name of "May Day".
New Zealand
In New Zealand, Labour Day is a public holiday held on the
fourth Monday in October. Its origins are traced back to the eight-hour working
day movement that arose in the newly founded Wellington colony in 1840, primarily
because of carpenter Samuel Parnell's
refusal to work more than eight hours a day. He encouraged other tradesmen also
to work for only eight hours a day and in October 1840, a workers' meeting
passed a resolution supporting the idea. On October 28, 1890, the 50th
anniversary of the eight-hour day was commemorated with a parade. The event was
then celebrated annually in late October as either Labour Day or Eight-Hour
Demonstration Day. In 1899 government legislated that the day be a public
holiday from 1900. The day was celebrated on different days in different
provinces. This led to ship owners complaining that seamen were taking
excessive holidays by having one Labour Day in one port then another in their
next port. In 1910 the government stipulated that the holiday would be observed
on the same day throughout the nation.
Africa
Algeria
May 1 is a public labour holiday in Algeria. the first of May is celebrated
in algeria as a labours day and a paid bank holiday since 1962.
Egypt
Egyptian Communist Party flags inTahrir Square.
May 1 is known as Labor Day and is considered a paid holiday.
The President of Egypt traditionally
presides over the official May Day celebrations in Cairo; however, owing to the absence of a
president pursuant to theRevolution of 2011,
as well as corruption charges faced by the head of the state-controlled national trade union centre (the Egyptian Trade Union Federation), the 2011 celebrations were organized by independent
unions (united under the banner of the Egyptian Federation for Independent Trades Unions)
for the first time since the Revolution of 1952.
Kenya
In Kenya, May Day is a public holiday and
celebrated as the Labour Day. It is a big day addressed by the leaders of the
workers umbrella union body- Central Organisation of Trade Unions COTU. The
Minister for Labour (and occasionally the President) address the Workers. Each
Year, the government approves (and increases) the minimum wage on Labour Day
Libya
On May 1, 1978, former Libyan leader Colonel Mu'ammar Al-Qaddafi addressed the
nation in the capital city of Tripoli calling for Administrative and
also Economic Reforms across Libya:
We celebrate today the first of May, the International Workers'
Day; but the real workers' day is the one on which all workers of the world are
liberated from slavery and when they become partners instead of wage workers...
This should be the Workers' International Day of Liberation
throughout the world which deserves the true celebration.
On September 1, marking the 9th anniversary of Qaddafi's rise to
leadership, masses responded to the calls made four months prior by revolting
and holding mass strikes against many institutions and private owned entities
effectively eliminating the Private sector of the economy.
Four years later, again marking Workers' Day, Qaddafi gave a
historic speech to labourers all over the world asking them to push further
with reforms called for in 1978:
On this day we call on the workers of the world who are suffering
from deceit, exploitation, oppression and slavery, to rebel against cruel
social relations by seizing factories and production units to control their
rights over production and form their people's congresses and committees ('No
democracy without popular congresses...Committees everywhere!'). The outbreak of the workers
revolution shall sweep the world, destroying forces of exploitation and
oppression and raising the banner of the dictum "Partners in production
not wage-earners", guided by the second chapter of The Green Book.
—Muammar Qaddafi, Workers' International Day of Liberation,
May 1, 1982, Tripoli, Libya
International Workers' Day was declared as a national public
holiday on May 1 of each year commencing 2012 by the National Transitional
Council of Libya – the first year of the post-Qaddafi era.
Morocco
It is recognized as a public holiday May 1.
South Africa
In South Africa, Workers' Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on the 1 May each year since 1994.
Tanzania
In Tanzania, it is a public holiday and celebrated as the Workers' Day.
Tunisia
May 1 is recognized as Labour Day.
South Africa
In South Africa, Workers' Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on the 1 May each year since 1994.
Tanzania
In Tanzania, it is a public holiday and celebrated as the Workers' Day.
Tunisia
May 1 is recognized as Labour Day.
