International Workers Day 
The International Workers' Day or May Day is the celebration par excellence of global labor movement.
Since its establishment in most countries (though considering holiday was delayed in many cases) by agreement of the Socialist Workers' Congress of the Second International, held in Paris in 1889, is a journey of struggle and a tribute to Chicago Martyrs. These union anarchists were executed in the United States for its participation in the days of struggle for the achievement of the eight-hour workday, which originated in the strike that began on May 1, 1886 and its peak three days later, on 4 May, in the Haymarket Riot. Today is a feast of fight for the rights of workers in general, held many of the countries.
Interestingly, in the United States do not celebrate this anniversary. Instead Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September since 1882 in a parade held in New York and organized by the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor (Knights of Labor, in English). President Grover Cleveland, hosted the celebration in September for fear that the May date would strengthen the socialist movement in the United States.
History Main article: Haymarket Riot
The facts underlying this conclusion are contextualised in the dawn of the industrial revolution in the United States. In the late nineteenth century Chicago was the second city in population in U.S. West and Southeast rail arriving each year thousands of farmers jobless, creating the first humble villas that would house hundreds of thousands of workers. Furthermore, these urban centers welcomed migrants from around the world throughout the nineteenth century.
Claim working time of 8 hours of hard work
One of the basic demands of the workers was the 8-hour day. Enforcing the maxim: "eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep and eight hours for the house." In this context there were several movements, in 1829 he formed a movement to ask the legislature of New York's eight-hour day. Previously there was a law forbidding work more than 18 hours, except in cases of necessity. If there was such a need, any officer of a railroad company that would have forced a driver or a fireman working days of 18 hours must pay a fine of $ 25. The
Most workers were members of the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor, but was more dominant the American Federation of Labor (American Federation of Labor), initially socialist (some sources say the origin anarchist). In its fourth congress, held on October 17, 1884, it ruled that since May 1, 1886 the statutory working hours should be eight hours, going on strike if they were not made this claim and recommended all labor unions consider doing enact laws to that effect in their jurisdictions. This decision aroused the interest of organizations, who saw that the possibility of getting more jobs in the eight hours, reducing unemployment.
In 1886, President Andrew Johnson issued a call Ingersoll Act, establishing the eight-hour day. Soon, nineteen states passed laws to daily maximum of eight to ten hours (but always with clauses which could add between 14 and 18 hours). However, due to lack of compliance with the Act Ingersoll, labor organizations and trade unions in U.S. mobilized. The press termed the move as "outrageous and disrespectful", "delusions of lunatics unpatriotic" and stating that it was "the same as asking to be paid a salary without meeting any hour of work. "
May Day Demonstration in Paris (2000). The strike call
The "Noble Order of the Knights of Labor (the main organization of workers in the U.S.) sent a circular to all organizations attached which stated: "No worker should be attached to this plant go on strike on 1 May and we have not given any order to that effect." This statement was flatly rejected by all U.S. workers and Canada, who repudiated the leadership of the Noble Order of the labor movement as traitors.
In the Press the day before the strike, on April 29, 1886, could read: "In addition to the eight hours, workers will demand all they can suggest the most crazy anarcho-socialist." [1] The New York Times said: "The strikes to force compliance with the eight hours can make much to cripple our industry, reduce trade and curb the resurgent prosperity of our nation, but will not achieve their objective. " The Philadelphia Telegram said: "The work component has been bitten by a tarantula species universal and has become lunatic, just think right now in a strike by achieving eight-hour system." The Indianapolis Journal said: "The street parades, the red flags, the fiery harangues of scoundrels and demagogues who live off the taxes of honest men but deceived, strikes and threats of violence, say the initiation of movement. "
On 1 May, the strike
May Day demonstration in Barcelona (2008). On 1 May 1886, 200,000 workers went on strike while another 200,000 got this achievement with the mere threat of unemployment .
in Chicago where workers' conditions were much worse than in other cities followed demonstrations on 2 and 3 May. The only factory that worked was the McCormick farm machinery factory was on strike from 16 February because the workers wanted to deduct an amount for the construction of a church. The production base was maintained at scabs. On day 2, the police violently dispersed a demonstration of more than 50,000 people and was held on 3 concentration in front of their doors, when I was in the stands the anarchist August Spies siren rang out a round of strike breakers. The concentrates were launched on the Scabs (yellow) starting a fight pitched. A company of police, without warning, proceeded to shoot at close range on producing 6 people dead and dozens injured.
editor of Arbeiter Zeitung ran Fischer his paper where he wrote a proclamation (which is then used as the main evidence against the accused at the trial that led to the gallows) printing 25,000 leaflets. The proclamation said
Workers: the class war has begun. Yesterday, in front of the McCormick factory, workers were shot. His blood want revenge! Who can doubt
as the jackals who govern us are hungry for blood work? But workers are not a flock of sheep. The white terror respond to the red terror! Death is preferable to the misery.
shoots
If workers respond in a way that the masters will remember for a long time.
is the need that we cry, To arms!.
Yesterday, women and children of the poor were crying for their husbands and their parents were shot, while in the palaces of the rich wine glasses were filled with expensive and drank to the health of the bandits of order ... Secad
your tears, those who suffer!
Have courage, slaves! Arise!.
The proclamation ended a protest calling for the next day, the four, at four pm in Haymarket Square. It got permission from Mayor Harrison for an act to 19.30 at Haymarket Park. The events that happened there are known as Haymarket Revolt.
The Haymarket Riot
Main article: Haymarket Riot
were concentrated in the Haymarket Square more than 20,000 people who were suppressed by 180 uniformed police officers. A bomb exploded among the police resulting in a death and several injuries. The police opened fire on the crowd killing and wounding an unknown number of workers.
was declared a state of siege and curfew, arresting hundreds of workers who were beaten and tortured, accused of killing police.
May Day demonstration in Eibar, Guipuzcoa, Basque Country (Spain) (1978). These repressive acts were supported by a press campaign with quotes like:
What better suspect that the staff of the anarchists. A brutes hanging murderers, ruffians red communists, bloodthirsty monsters, bomb makers, rabble that are not nothing but the lag of Europe who sought our shores to abuse our hospitality and challenge the authority of our nation, and in all these years have done nothing but seditious and dangerous doctrines proclaim!
The Press claimed a summary trial by the Supreme Court, and accountable to eight anarchists and all the prominent figures of the labor movement.
On June 21, 1886, began proceedings against 31 perpetrators, then remained at 8. The irregularities in the trial were violated all the rules many procedural and substantive, so that has come to be regarded as a sham trial. The courts were convicted. Three of them were sentenced to prison and five on the gallows. Prison
Samuel Fielden, English, 39, Methodist minister and a textile worker, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Oscar
Neebe, U.S., 36, salesman, was sentenced to 15 years hard labor. Michael
swabbed, German, 33, printer, sentenced to life imprisonment.
to death by hanging
On November 11, 1887 was accomplished the following activities:
Georg Engel German, 50, typesetter.
Adolf Fischer, German, 30, journalist.
Albert Parsons, U.S., 39, journalist, husband of Lucy González Parsons Mexican but proved that was not present at the scene, gave himself up to be with their peers and judged equally. Auguste Hessois
Spies, German, 31, journalist. Louis
Linng, German, 22, carpenter will not be executed committed suicide in his cell. Story
execution by José Martí, Chicago correspondent of the newspaper La Nacion of Buenos Aires (Argentina):
... out of their cells. They shake hands, smile. I read the sentence, we hold hands in the back with handcuffs, I Cinch arms to the body with a leather band and they put a white shroud and the robe of Christian catechumens. Below is the audience sitting in rows of chairs in front of the scaffold as in a theater ... Firmness in the face of Fischer, prayer in the Spies, pride in the Parsons, Engel makes a joke about his hood, Spies shouts, "the voice you are going to put down will be more powerful in the future that few words I could say now. "I lowered the hood, then a sign, a noise, the trap gives the four bodies fall and sway in a dance
frightening ... Chicago's Crime killed of many workers and union leaders there is no exact number, but were thousands of fired, arrested, tried, shot or tortured. Most were immigrants: Italian, English, German, Irish, Russians, Poles and other Slavic countries.
Achieving the eight-hour workday
In late May of 1886 several sectors employers agreed to grant the day of 8 hours to several hundreds of thousands of workers. The success was such that the Federation of Organized Trades and Unions expressed their joy in these words: "Never in the history of this country has been a general uprising among the masses as industrial. The desire for reduction of working hours has led to millions of workers to join existing organizations, when so far had remained indifferent to union agitation. "
Achieving 8-hour day marked a turning point in the world labor movement. Engels himself in the preface to the German edition of 1890 of The Communist Manifesto says:
Well today when I write these lines, the proletariat of Europe and America looks at forces, mobilized for the first time in a one army, under one flag and one immediate goal: the legal establishment of normal eight-hour day, proclaimed already 1866 by the International Congress held in Geneva and again in 1889 by the Paris Workers' Congress. Today's show demonstrate to the capitalists and landlords of all countries, in effect, the proletarians of all countries are united. ! Oh, if Marx had at my side to see for yourself! [2] [3] Today
May Day demonstration in Bombay (India) (2004). The banner text reads "Long live May Day." Throughout the twentieth century, advances were increasing labor laws for workers, giving them rights to respect, remuneration and social protection. In the last ten years these progress fell under the influence of neoliberalism.
Today, many countries commemorate May Day and the origin of the modern labor movement. There are some who do not, generally being British colonial countries such as USA and Canada, to celebrate the Labor Day (Labor Day) the first Monday in September, New Zealand, the fourth Monday in October. In Australia, each federal state decides the date of celebration: the first Monday of October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and South Australia, the second Monday in March in Victoria and Tasmania, the first Monday of March, Western Australia, and the first May in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
In 1954 Pope Pius XII Catholic tacitly supported this day of collective memory to declare it as the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Lately has been calling this day as International Labour Day.
