International Workers Day - May Day

Through out the globe May 1st, is celebrated as International Worker's day. This day is commemorated for the social justice for the labours and the workers. International Workers day is famous for the struggle of labours for "eight hour day" it is also well known as Haymarket affair day. On this day world wide workers enjoy holiday.

History of International Workers day
In year 1886 in Chicago in the famous Haymarket square some 300000 to 400000 workers were protesting against some of the then laws against the labour on a three day strike. When during the course of the three day strike suddenly police opened fire on the huge mass of workers gathered on the square. But the crowd remained peaceful throughout, but without any provocation about 180 to 200 policeman brutally and in a barbaric manner attacked the peaceful crowd which gathered at the end of the street. Police attacked the crowd by clubs and revolvers and killed one and injured several workers. Some unsocial elements threw a bomb on the police. It resulted in killing of one and injuring seventy workers.

This incident left a deep scare in the hearts of millions. Suddenly terror struck in Chicago. Police claimed the bombing as the handy work of socialist and raided, homes, town halls, meeting halls, and union offices. Randomly arrests were made throughout Chicago.

Eight men were arrested in the charge of murder and bombing. These men were Spies, Fielden, Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Michael Schwab, Louis Lingg and Oscar Neebe.

The state's attorney Julius Grinnell, made the whole case against these men without any defense and the proceeding was biased and the judgment was rigged. On August 19th 1886 seven men were pronounced death sentence and one for fifteen years imprisonment.

Meanwhile Lingg hung himself in the prison before the execution. In November 11th year 1887 Spies, Fischer, Parsons and Engel were hanged.

The struggle continued to free the balance prisoners. There was huge public cry and national and international pressure to free the prisoners.
In remembrance of the martyrs of International workers day is celebrated and this day is also a holiday.

Throughout the century workers were being paid on daily basis and not by hourly basis. When then call of the workers and trade unions for eight hours working time, left deep imprison on workers as well as on the factory owners.

Meaning of hourly work
Workers white collared or blue, work in any factory or institution to earn money for themselves and their family. If the working hours are unlimited then they cannot enjoy the fruit of their labour. A worker gives his or her time and energy for any industry only to get compensations, for the efficient time given for the employers.

A worker can give his efficient output for eight hours only, beyond this the workers efficiency reduces, which has been proven scientifically. Therefore the demand for eight hours working time has been in the minds of workers as well as in the trade union leaders.

The struggle or the fight between working class and the employers has been always there on the razor's edge. The Workers wanted shorter working hours and greater freedom. This was in the minds of working class and they put pressure on the factory owners and on the authority.

This movement gained its popularity through out the world. More so in the Western Europe, America and Australia, the popular slogan was eight hours working, eight hours entertainment and eight hours rest gained movement.
Slowly the rift between workers and the factory owners increased. This rift became the boiling point in the workers and the authority relationship.
In America in early 1850's some of the factory owners accepted 10 hours working time for the workers. But under the surface this demand for eight hours working time remained in the minds of workers as well as trade union leaders. This gave rise to unrest in the working class and their representatives from trade unions.

Carl Marx too advocated the eight hours working theory in his book Dass Kapital. Eight hours working gained movement in the socialist world as well as in the capitalist.

Therefore both in Geneva as well as in the Baltimore conferences "Eight hours" came in prominence and ruled the conferences. Thus the idea of international workers day gave birth. In remembrance of the sacrifices made by the workers and labours, which have made the remarkable and ever lasting impact on the working hours and the conditions of the workers. We on global basis celebrate May first as a holiday. May Day will always be remembered as the execution of the four anarchists for struggling for an 8-hour day. In Soviet Union May Day is celebrated as the significant development in the building of Socialism and other part of the world as the struggle for social and economical development for the working class