On Labor Day... How did May 1 become Labor Day in the world?

Weather of Arabia - On the first of May , many countries around the world celebrate “Labor Day”, as this day is considered an official holiday in more than 100 countries, and the origin of this holiday goes back to the middle of the nineteenth century, when the United States witnessed The beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and European workers migrating to the “New World” constituted the main labor force in America.

Working conditions at that time were very poor, with low wages and long working hours. Labor unrest began to spread widely in the eighteenth decade of the nineteenth century, and the leaders of the labor movement in the United States largely belonged to socialist, communist, and other leftist trends. Believing in the necessity of ending the capitalist system to stop exploitation. Many of these leaders were immigrants of German descent.

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Labor Day story

In 1886, the United States Federation of Labor Unions called a strike on May 1 to demand an eight-hour work day. More than 300,000 workers participated in the strike in factories across the country. On May 3, tragic events occurred in the city of Chicago. It was one of the centers of the protest movement at that time, where a number of striking workers were killed by the police.

The next day, a bomb exploded during a labor gathering in Haymarket Square in Chicago, killing 7 policemen and a number of striking workers. These events contributed to the escalation of social tensions and conflicts at that time, and sparked widespread discussions about workers’ rights and working conditions in the country. America.

The striking workers gathered peacefully that day, in protest against the killing of their colleagues the day before at the hands of security forces, and in support of the demand to limit the daily working hours to eight hours. At the conclusion of the rally, an unknown person threw a bomb at the policemen who were trying to disperse the striking workers, resulting in the death of 7 policemen and four workers died as a result of the explosion and the resulting clashes.

After the trial, eight union leaders were convicted of involvement in the attack, four of whom were executed in 1887, while the rest were pardoned by the governor of Illinois in 1893 and denounced the trial.

In 1889, the president of the American Federation of Trade Unions wrote to the First Congress of the Second International in Paris, calling for the unification of the struggle of workers around the world for an eight-hour day. In response to this request, the Congress decided to organize "demonstrations around the world" in the first From May of the following year, in 1890, and since then this day has become a Labor Day around the world.

May 1 was also chosen by the International in honor of the victims of Haymarket Square in Chicago and other labor demonstrations and strikes that took place in the city in 1886.

May 1 is considered an official holiday in 107 countries around the world, representing about 67% of the Earth’s population.

Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st every year

After the Allied victory in World War II, the global map underwent dramatic changes, as political and economic divisions became more pronounced.

Labor Day celebrations were held for decades in socialist countries such as Cuba, the Soviet Union at the time, and China, where this occasion was considered one of the most important holidays.

The May Day celebration was usually marked by massive parades, such as those held in Moscow's Red Square, attended by senior party and state officials, and the occasion was an opportunity to display Soviet military power.

Communist leaders believed that celebrating Labor Day would inspire the working classes in Europe and America to unite in the struggle against capitalism.

In the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Labor Day was officially declared a national holiday in 1945, and is celebrated with parades and festivals. Elsewhere in the world, unions and workers also organize marches on Labor Day to demand improved working conditions.

Workers' rights remain important in the face of the expected rise in unemployment and worker poverty rates.

Despite low unemployment rates and positive employment growth, wages fell in the majority of G20 countries, with wage increases unable to keep pace with inflation last year, according to the ILO's 2024 report.

The International Labor Organization says that last year the number of workers living in extreme poverty, who earn less than $2.15 per day per person, rose by about one million people globally.

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Sources:

bbc