IFAN 5.1 Labour Day

History 

In the 19th century, many countries, such as the United States and Europe gradually by the development of capitalism to imperialism stage, in order to stimulate the economy high speed development, to extract more surplus value, in order to maintain the capitalism of the high-speed machines, take the capitalists increasing labor time and intensity of labor to ruthlessly exploit workers. 

In the United States, workers work 14 to 16 hours a day, some as long as 18 hours, for very low wages. An overseer in a Massachusetts shoe factory once said, "Take a strong, able-bodied lad of eighteen, work beside any of the machines here, and I can turn his hair gray at twenty-two." Heavy class oppression aroused great anger among the proletarians. They knew that the only way to obtain the conditions of survival was to unite and fight against the capitalists through a strike movement. The workers' strike condition is to demand an eight-hour working day.

In 1866, the First International Geneva Conference put forward the slogan of the eight-hour work day.[4]

In 1877, the first national strike in American history began. The working class went to the streets to demonstrate, and proposed to the government to improve the working and living conditions, demanding shorter working hours and the implementation of the eight-hour working day system. Soon after the strike, the ranks are growing, the number of union membership surged, workers everywhere have joined the strike movement.

Under the strong pressure of the labor movement, the U.S. Congress was forced to enact the eight-hour working day law. However, some capitalists paid no attention to this law. It was just a piece of paper, and the workers were still living in misery and suffering from the capitalists. Fed up, the workers decided to push the struggle for the right to life to a new climax, and prepared to hold a larger strike.

In October 1884, the United States and Canada's eight international and national worker groups, held a rally in Chicago, the United States, decided to hold a general strike on May 1, 1886, forcing capitalists to implement the eight-hour working day system. The day finally came. On May 1, 1886, the 350 thousand workers shutdown of more than 20 thousand enterprises in the United States took to the streets, held a huge demonstration, all kinds of color of skin, the workers of each kind of work carried out a general strike together. In Chicago alone, 45,000 workers took to the streets. As a result, major industries of the United States were paralyzed, trains were frozen, stores were silent, and warehouses were closed and sealed.

Around 350,000 people participated in a massive strike and demonstration in Chicago, demanding the improvement of working conditions and the introduction of an eight-hour working day. On May 3, 1886, the Chicago government sent the police to suppress, shot and killed two people, and the situation expanded. On May 4, the striking workers held a protest in Haymarket Square. As unidentified people threw bombs at the police, the police opened fire, successively four workers and seven policemen died. It was called the Haymarket Riot or The Haymarket Massacre. In subsequent sentencing, eight anarchists were charged with murder, four were hanged, and one committed suicide in prison.

To commemorate this great labor movement and the subsequent sentencing of the protest, workers' protests were held around the world. These activities became the forerunner of international Labor Day.

In July 1889, the organization of Engels held the second international founding conference announced that the annual May 1 as the international Labor Day.

Victory was finally achieved after a bitter and bloody struggle. In commemoration of the workers' movement, July 14, 1889, the socialist Congress convened by the national Marxist, opened in Paris, France. On the general assembly, the representatives agreed: May 1 as the common festival of the international proletariat. The decision received an immediate positive response from workers around the world. On May 1, 1890, the working class in Europe and the United States took the lead in taking to the streets, holding a grand demonstration and assembly to fight for legal rights and interests. From then on, every time this day the world's working people to assembly, parade, to celebrate, and the public holiday.