From Haymarket to History: The Bloody Origin and Global Legacy of May Day

The first of May is a deal for the working class all around the world. It is a day when all the factories and offices stop working to honor the people who do all the work. This day is known as Labour Day or International Workers Day. It is not a day off from work but a day to remember the struggles of the working class. A time ago people had to work very long hours in bad conditions.

The reason May 1 is the day for the working classs because of something that happened a long time ago. In 1884 a group called the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions decided that May 1 1886 would be the day when workers would start working eight hours a day. At that time workers had to work for 10 to 16 hours in bad conditions. As the day got closer more and more workers joined the movement. On May 1 1886 hundreds of thousands of workers stopped working to demand working conditions. They wanted to work for eight hours rest for eight hours and have eight hours to do what they wanted.

Things did not go as planned. On May 3 the police hurt some workers at a factory in Chicago. The workers got very angry. Decided to protest. They had a meeting at a place called Haymarket Square. The police came to stop the meeting. Someone threw a bomb at them. This caused a lot of violence. Many people got hurt. The police and some workers were killed.

After this the government got very strict with the workers. They arrested some leaders of the workers. Put them on trial. Even though they did not do anything they were found guilty. Some of them were. One killed himself in prison. These people became known as the Haymarket Martyrs. Their deaths made workers around the world very angry and sad. In 1889 a group of socialists and workers decided to make May 1 a day to remember the Haymarket Martyrs and to keep fighting for the rights of workers.

The name "May Day" is also connected to an European festival. A time ago people used to celebrate the beginning of summer on May 1. They would have parties and dance around poles with flowers. The workers liked this idea. They decided to use May 1 as their day too. They wanted to show that they were fighting for a beginning a time when workers would have more rights and better lives.

Today May 1 is still a day for workers. In countries workers march on the streets and demand better wages, safer working conditions and protection from machines that can take their jobs. From Havana to Manila workers remember the struggles of the past. Keep fighting for their rights. They know that the good things they have today, like weekends and safe working conditions were not given to them by their employers but were won by the workers who fought for them. Labour Day is a day to remember the workers who fought for their rights and to keep fighting for a future.