International Workers’ Day: Why is it celebrated today on 1 May?

This Wednesday marks a new holiday labour dayThank you for the struggle of the working class in usa To obtain labor rights that did not exist at that time. Workers’ desire to complete a routine 8 hours (instead of 16) It was important to add rest to the day.

in North American city chicagoAs in other parts of the world, the late 19th century saw the beginning of a growing organization of workers who began joining unions and other types of labor associations with the aim of fighting to improve their working conditions.

One of the most important demands of this labor movement was the establishment of A working day limited to eight hours. At the time, it was not unusual for workers, including women and children, to work shifts of up to sixteen or eighteen hours in unsanitary conditions and at minimum wages.

Efforts to reform the working day were not new. For the first time since the late 18th century, the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain inspired demonstration of workers, who condemned the painful working conditions. However, it was the late 19th century when the fight for the eight-hour day began to gain greater visibility and support internationally.

In this sense, the American President Andrew Johnson promulgated in 1868 ingersoll lawwhich formally established the eight-hour day, although its effective application met with strong opposition. Patience by businessmen and not immediately implemented.

chicago martyrs was a group of labor worker and anarchists who were prosecuted and convicted in connection with demonstrations in favor of the eight-hour work day in the United States.

the events that led to his birth Sentence They were particularly concentrated around May 1, 1886, which was followed by several days of protests on May 4, known as the Incident. Haymarket bombing in Chicago. During this last event, a Bomb The explosion occurred in the middle of a demonstration in Haymarket Square. Many police officers and protesters died in this episode.

In the chaotic context of labor rights battles and social tensions of the time, authorities arrested eight people. He was accused of conspiring and inciting violence. were accused August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Lewis Laing, Michael Schwab, Samuel Fielden, and Oscar Neebe. Despite the lack of direct evidence linking them all to the bombing, they were prosecuted in a context of strong hostility towards the labor movement and particularly its more radical factions.

Four accused were sentenced to death and hanged. (Spies, Parsons, Fisher, and Engel), one committed suicide in prison before his execution (Ling), and the other three were sentenced long prison sentence (Fielden, Schwab and Neebe), although he was later pardoned in 1893 by Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld, who questioned the validity of the trial and noted lack of evidence Which is directly linked to those convicted of acts of violence.

He may 1 Labor Day is being celebrated throughout the year 1890, The commemoration was established during the Second International Congress, held in Paris in 1889, where it was agreed to hold an international demonstration demanding an eight-hour working day on 1 May the following year.

date selected To commemorate the events of Haymarket in Chicago, which occurred in May 1886, and which ended with the hanging of several labor activists who later became known as the Chicago Martyrs. Since then it has been celebrated all over the world as International Workers’ Day. Day of Affirmation of Labor Rights And solidarity among workers.