WHY THE FIRST OF MAY?
“Eight hours for work, Eight hours for sleep and Eight hours for the house !!!! …”
- It was the claim that the American workers and workers fought at the time of the Industrial Revolution in 1886.
- May 1st of that same year, which was chosen as the deadline for employers to comply with this demand.
- The largest labor unions of the time, such as the American Federation of Labor and the Knights of Labor, called a strike against the refusal of the owners.
- In several factories they accepted the demand of the workers but near 340,000 workers remained unanswered reason why the strike lasted.
- More than 12,000 factories were paralyzed throughout the country, with men, women and children working up to 14 hours a day in subhuman health situations, with poor working conditions, low wages and high production targets.
- In the city of Chicago, strong support was given by the working population. Some 80,000 people went on strike, creating turbulence between demonstrators and police, causing several deaths.
- After a bomb exploded in the crowd that participated in the street protests and for which one policeman died and 60 others were injured as well as several demonstrators; Eight anarchist trade union leaders leaders of the labor movement were captured and accused.
- All were sentenced to death in a manipulated trial that failed to prove their involvement in the detonation of the bomb.
- August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolf Fischer and George Engel were hanged. At the last minute the sentences of Michael Schwab and Samuel Fielden were sentenced to life imprisonment. Oscar Neebe was sentenced to 15 years in prison and Louis Lingg was found dead in his cell. Without further option, suicide was his last act of rebellion. They are all known as the Chicago Martyrs.
- By these facts, in 1889, the Socialist Workers’ Congress of the Second International decided in Paris to adopt May Day as Labor Day, commemorating the Martyrs of Chicago and the struggle of the people.
- Over the years, this day was adopted to commemorate such events around the world and it is a day of struggles for the demands of the workers.
Elaborated with information and photographs of: portaloaca / cnt, El Blog Salmón, Venelogia