2023-05-01 02:10:15
He International Workers’ Day or also known as World Labor Day is celebrated on May 1 of each year in many countries around the world. This date has its origin in the United States at the end of the 19th century, in the context of workers’ struggles for the reduction of the working day to eight hours a day.
It is a day to demand the rights of workers and workers around the world, which is usually celebrated with acts of solidarity and demonstrations in almost all countries.
The origins of this celebration date back to 1886, when American factory workers could work up to 16 hours a day, with the only limitation that a person could not work more than 18 hours in a row without just cause. This situation motivated the strongest American union of the moment, the American Federation of Labor, to organize a series of strikes and protests under the slogan Eight hours of work, eight hours of leisure and eight hours of rest to claim the 8-hour working day and force employers to comply with it.
In Chicagowas carried out big rally in which some 80,000 workers participated, mostly European immigrants. The march passed peacefully throughout the day, until late afternoon when there were clashes between the demonstrators and the police. Finally, on May 4, a concentration was called in Haymarket square, where an explosive device exploded that killed a policeman in what is known as the Haymarket Massacre.
The authorities blamed the workers for this fact and more than 30 people were arrested for their radical ideas, of which three were sentenced to prison and five to hanging, becoming known worldwide as “the Chicago martyrs.”
In 1889, three years after the events, the Second Socialist International proclaimed May 1 as the International Day of Workers (and Workers), in memory of the events that occurred in the United States. However, it is curious to note that, despite the American origin of the celebration, this country now commemorates this date on the first Monday in September, something that was done to separate this date from the labor movement for fear that socialism would take root in the United States. .
Later, its neighboring country, Canada, adopted the same measure, and in other countries such as New Zealand, Australia, China, Israel or Japan, among others, it is also celebrated on a different date for historical or political reasons.
UGT and CCOO demonstration for May 1, 2022 in Logroño / Photo: Archive – EP From this incipient movement for the fight for the rights of workers and workers, progress has been made in these years, achieving achievements and contractual benefits that have been recognized in the different world legislations –although unevenly according to the countries–.
Some of these advances go through the legal enjoyment of vacations, the establishment of the minimum wage, social security and workers’ insurance, medical and paternity and maternity leave, or the right to union membership and to strike, among others. In Spain for this May 1 the two main unions, UGT and CC OO have called 73 demonstrations throughout Spain with the motto Raise wages, lower prices, spread the profits.
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is celebrated on April 28 / Image: ILO Although the UN does not currently have an officially established day for this commemoration, it does recognize the importance of ensuring the rights of workers through the International Labor Organization (ILO)its tripartite agency that brings together governments, employers, workers and workers from 187 member states created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I.
The ILO also claims since 2022 the World Day for Safety and Health at Work which is celebrated on April 28 and which has gathered experts and leaders to discuss the implications for the world of work, as well as how to apply this right in practice in the world of work. It will also serve to present the results of the investigation on the state of application of various provisions of the fundamental Conventions no. 155 and no. 187.
Your goal is promote decent work for all, in conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity (1). He works on a wide variety of issues such as labor rights, gender equality at work, social protection, safety and health at work or labor migration, among others.
It is also in charge of establishing international labor-related standards through the adoption of conventions and recommendations, which are legal instruments that member states can ratify and apply in their national legislation.
International Labor Day and the environment are closely related / Photo: Pixabay He International work day and the environment are closely related due to the fact that labor and economic activity has a significant impact on the environment and on nature. Unsustainable practices in the workplace can have serious consequences for the environment and the health and safety of workers.
For this reason, In many parts of the world, unions and workers’ organizations have worked in collaboration with environmental groups to promote environmental awareness in the workplace.. This collaboration has led to the creation of environmental certification programs for companies, environmental education campaigns for workers, and the promotion of sustainable business practices.
In addition, some trade union movements and workers’ organizations have defended the creation of green jobs, that is, jobs that contribute to the protection and restoration of the environment. Green jobs include jobs in renewable energy, sustainable transportation, organic farming, sustainable construction, among others.
In summary, environmental protection is essential to ensure a sustainable future for workers and their communitiesand International Labor Day is an opportunity to highlight the importance of promoting sustainable labor practices and green job creation.
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