Reflections on May Day

Many socialists are suckers for tradition and there has been a long radical tradition associated with the First of May. May Day has over the decades become a focal point for demonstrations by workers and labour organizations around the world. It is a special day to the cause of advancement of the workers.

May Day’s origins lies in the fight for an eight-hour working day and was born on May 1, 1886 when American men and their families marched for an eight-hour day. They dreamed of ordering their life into eight hours of work, eight hours of education and play, eight hours of rest. A modest dream, but oh,how revolutionary! The centre of this powerful movement was Chicago, where workers were jailed and executed by the government.The dream leaped the ocean, took root in the mind of Europe. The heroism and determination of the Chicago working class and the sacrifice of the Haymarket Martyrs would resonate around the world.

The idea of celebrating May Day as International Workers Day quickly took root and the leaders of the socialist Second International called for an international day of protest achieve the 8 hour day to be held at the beginning of May 1890. May Day brings together all workers regardless of national origin, language or race. We create the wealth and we show the world that workers day, May Day, will be honoured as a day of workers’ standing up for justice and resistance. On this day the class conscious working men and women assert, if only for a day, their freedom from capitalist domination and where all men and women, whatever their language, their nation, their colour, were brothers and sisters.

Sadly today, May Day is too often a tired procession of the faithful, listening to hollow platitudes from the platform, no longer an international day of opposition to the capitalist social order. It is frequently forgot that the labour movement was founded on a socialist vision.

Let us once more make May Day a day that the capitalist class fear. It is time that we, socialists, pass from the defensive to the offensive, and, even if only for a day, with red flags fluttering, up-raised fists and to the refrain of the Internationale, assert our freedom from capitalist domination. Let us show the capitalists our determination! Let us tell them that the system must be changed. Let us tell them that we will change it by SOCIAL REVOLUTION!