Young Workers Issue 14 - May Day Solidarity

• Authors: YCW
• Subjects: YCW
• Language: English
• Type: text
• Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/118589 , vital:34649
• Description: The 1st of May is known all over the world as the INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY. It is a day when workers pledge their struggle for better working and living conditions. It is a day of showing a link of workers struggle in different countries of the world. It is a symbol of taking forward their struggle against the CAPITALIST SYSTEM and to take control over their lives. In 1890 the Second International Workers Congress accepted MAY DAY as an INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY FOR ALL THE WORKERS OF THE WORLD. Recently in South Africa, fight for May Day to be recognised as a paid public holiday is once more on the agenda of the worker movement. This demand comes at a time when workers have continued to build their trade unions. Thanks to the militant struggles of the early 70's which paved the way for the present strenght of the unions. Already many companies have signed agreements to recognise May Day as a paid holiday. Last year the 100 Annivesary of May Day was celebrated with militance and dignity. More than 1,5 million workers supported the call to attend the rallies which were held all over the country. The Labour Monitoring Group reported that it was the biggest stay-away in over 25 years. The biggest rally organised by COSATU at Orlando Stadium attend ed by close to 20 000 people. Last year support for MAY DAY symboli- shed that workers are beginning to decide what holidays they want and not the states idea of holidays. Its a symbol of hope for the working class that to build a society based on the principal of workers control, workers have to be incontrol of these actions.
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