Defend May Day!

Submitted by Matthew on 16 March, 2011 - 5:15

The Tories are scrapping our jobs, benefits and public services. Now they plan to scrap May Day bank holiday and replace it with a “UK Day”.

For socialists May Day is more than maypoles and Morris dancing — it is International Workers’ Day.

The idea of a workers’ day began around the demand for the eight-hour day — Australian workers in 1856 coincided a strike with demonstrations, meetings and entertainment. The idea quickly spread to other countries — 1 May 1886 strikes were held throughout the US, including Chicago where twelve were shot dead by police, and organisers were later arrested and sentenced to death. In 1890 the Second International named May Day International Workers’ Day. The initial demand of the eight-hour day was eventually won but May Day continued.

May Day has been a bank holiday in the UK since 1978 and the Tories now intend to replace it with a nationalistic autumn celebration. Tourism minister, John Penrose, argues this will stretch the tourist season beyond the summer, as part of “practical, not political”,government plans to bring four million additional overseas visitors to Britain over the next four years, creating 50,000 jobs.

Is it really surprising that as the ConDem coalition attacks the welfare state and strengthens the anti-trade union laws they also attack working-class history and culture in favour of their big British society?

Internationally May Day is an opportunity for protest and direct action against capitalism. Major demonstrations and celebrations are usual in Russia, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy and elsewhere.

2009 saw the biggest ever French demonstrations and in Berlin, following street parties, dozens were arrested amid violent clashes with the police.

London’s first May Day march in 1890 drew more than 200,000 workers and radicals, among them Friedrich Engels. Now it’s lucky to muster a few hundred. We’ve allowed May Day to become an easy target, and the unions have done little to defend it.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber merely said the change will “disrupt people’s schedules and create more red tape for employers”. He mentioned that it could be a move to pacify Tories who dislike May Day’s left-wing associations, but highlighted its importance as a historical “British” celebration.

History is important — it allows us to remember and learn the lessons of past struggles; to celebrate those who fought before and see what will be necessary to achieve revolution. May Day plays a central role in this.

Rosa Luxemburg said, “when better days dawn, when the working class of the world has won its deliverance then too humanity will… celebrate May Day in honor of the bitter struggles and the many sufferings of the past”.

We face a devastating attack on our public services, our jobs and our class: it is now more important than ever that we take the opportunity that May Day offers to celebrate our history and to continue the fight for working-class liberation and socialism.

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