Day Workers International
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Since its establishment in most countries (though considering holiday was delayed in many cases) by agreement of the Socialist Workers' Congress of the Second International, held in Paris in 1889, is a journey of struggle and a tribute to Chicago Martyrs, union anarchists who were executed in the United States for its participation in the days of struggle for the achievement of eight-hour workday that originated in the strike that began on May 1 1886 and its peak three days later, on May 4 at the Haymarket Riot in Chicago. Interestingly
in the United States is not celebrated this anniversary. They celebrate the Labor Day the first Monday in September since 1882 made a stop in New York and organized by the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor (Knights of Labor, in English). President Grover Cleveland, hosted the celebration in September for fear that the May date would strengthen the socialist movement in the United States.
May Day Demonstration in Paris (2000).
May Day Demonstration in Paris (2000).
history
The facts underlying this conclusion are contextualised in the dawn of the industrial revolution in the United States. In the late nineteenth century Chicago was the second U.S. city West and Southeast rail arriving each year thousands of farmers jobless, creating the first humble villas that would house hundreds of thousands of workers. Furthermore, these urban centers welcomed migrants from around the world throughout the nineteenth century.
The demand for 8-hour workday
One of the basic demands of the workers was the 8-hour day. Enforcing the maxim: "eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep and eight hours for the house. " In this context there were several movements, in 1829 he formed a movement to ask the legislature of New York's eight-hour day. Previously there was a law forbidding work more than 18 hours, except in cases of necessity. If there was such a need, any officer of a railroad company that would have forced a driver or a fireman working days of 18 hours must pay a fine of $ 25.
Most workers were members of the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor, but was more dominant the American Federation of Labor, American Federation Labour initially socialist (some sources say the origin anarchist). In its fourth congress, held on October 17, 1884, ruled that since May 1, 1886 the statutory working hours should be eight hours. If no response to this claim, he would go on strike. Recommended to all labor unions to try to enact legislation that content in all jurisdictions. This decision aroused the interest of all organizations, which saw the eight-hour day would make it possible to get as many jobs (less unemployment). Those two years exacerbated the sense of solidarity and heightened combatibilidad workers in general.
In 1886, U.S. President Andrew Johnson issued a call Ingersoll Act, establishing the 8-hour workday. Soon after, 19 states passed laws that allowed maximum of 8 working days and 10 hours (but always with clauses that allow the workers to work between 14 and 18 hours). Working conditions were similar, and the conditions under which they lived was still unbearable.
As Ingersoll Act was not met, labor organizations and trade unions in U.S. mobilized. The press termed the movement to demand eight hours of work as "outrageous and disrespectful", "delirium lunatic unpatriotic "and stating that it was" the same as asking to be paid a salary without meeting any time to work. "
May Day Demonstration in Paris (2000).
May Day Demonstration in Paris (2000).
The strike call
The "Noble Order of the Knights of Labor (the main organization of workers in the U.S.) sent a circular to all adhering organizations which stated:" No worker attached to this central should go on strike on 1 May and we have not given any order to that effect. " This statement was flatly rejected by all workers U.S. and Canada, who repudiated the leadership of the Noble Order of the labor movement as traitors.
In the Press the day before the strike, on April 29, 1886, could read: "In addition to the eight hours, workers will demand all they can suggest the most crazy anarcho-socialist." The New York Times said: "The strikes to force compliance with the eight hours can do much to cripple our industry, reduce trade and halt the resurgent prosperity of our nation, but will not achieve their objective." The Philadelphia Telegram said: "The work component has been bitten by a tarantula species has become universal and lunatic: just think right now in a strike by achieving eight-hour system. " The Indianapolis Journal said: "The street parades, the red flags, the fiery speeches of thieves and demagogues who live off the taxes of honest men but deceived, strikes and threats of violence, say the initiation of movement."
On 1 May, the strike
On 1 May 1886, 200,000 workers went on strike while another 200,000 got this achievement with the mere threat of unemployment.
in Chicago where workers' conditions were much worse than in other cities continued mobilization 2 and 3 May. The only factory that worked was the McCormick farm machinery factory was on strike since Feb. 16 because the workers wanted to deduct an amount for the construction of a church. The production base was maintained at scabs. On day 2, the police violently dispersed a demonstration of more than 50,000 people and was held on 3 concentration in front of their doors, when I was in the stands the anarchist August Spies siren rang out a round of strike breakers. The concentrates were launched on the Scabs (yellow) starting a fight pitched. A company of police, without warning, proceeded to firing point blank on people making 6 dead and dozens injured.
editor of Arbeiter Zeitung newspaper Fischer ran to where he proclaims (later used as the main evidence against the accused at the trial that led to the gallows) printing 25,000 leaflets. The proclamation said
Workers: the class war has begun. Yesterday, in front of the McCormick factory, workers were shot. His blood want revenge! Who can doubt
as the jackals who govern us are hungry for blood work? But workers are not a flock of sheep. The white terror respond to the red terror! It is better to die that misery. Shoots
If workers respond in a way that the masters will remember for a long time.
is the need that we cry, To arms!.
Yesterday, women and children of the poor were crying for their husbands and their parents were shot, while in the palaces of the rich wine glasses were filled with expensive and drank to the health of the bandits of order ... Secad
your tears, those who suffer!
Have courage, slaves! Arise!.
The proclamation ended a protest calling for the next day, the four, at four pm in Haymarket Square. It got permission from Mayor Harrison to make an act a las 19.30 en el parque Haymarket. Los hechos que allí sucedieron son conocidos como Revuelta de Haymarket.
La revuelta de Haymarket
Artículo principal: Revuelta de Haymarket
Se concentraron en la plaza de Haymarket más de 20.000 personas que fueron reprimidas por 180 policías uniformados. Un artefacto explosivo estalló entre los policías produciendo un muerto y varios heridos. La policía abrió fuego contra la multitud matando e hiriendo a un número desconocido de obreros.
Se declaró el estado de sitio y el toque de queda deteniendo a centenares de trabajadores que fueron golpeados y torturados, acusados del asesinato del policía.
Manifestación May Day in Eibar, Guipuzcoa, Basque Country (Spain) (1978).
May Day demonstration in Eibar, Guipuzcoa, Basque Country (Spain) (1978).
These repressive actions were supported by a press campaign with quotes like:
What better suspect that the staff of the anarchists. A brutes hanging murderers, ruffians red communists, bloodthirsty monsters, bomb makers, rabble that are not nothing but the lag of Europe who sought our shores to abuse our hospitality and challenge the authority of our nation, and in all these years have done nothing but proclaim doctrines seditious and dangerous!
The Press claimed a summary trial by the Supreme Court, and accountable to eight anarchists and all the prominent figures of the labor movement.
On June 21, 1886, began proceedings against 31 makers, who then left in August. The irregularities in the trial were violated all the rules many procedural and substantive, so that has come to be regarded as a sham trial. The courts were convicted. Three of them were sentenced to prison and five on the gallows. Prison
* Samuel Fielden, English, 39, Methodist minister and a textile worker, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
* Oscar Neebe, U.S., 36, salesman, was sentenced to 15 years hard labor.
* Michael swabbed, German, 33, printer, sentenced to life imprisonment.
to death by hanging
On November 11, 1887 was accomplished the following activities:
* Georg Engel, German, 50, typesetter.
* Adolf Fischer, German, 30, journalist.
* Albert Parsons, U.S., 39, journalist, husband of Lucy González Parsons Mexican but proved that was not present at the scene, gave himself up to be with their peers and judged equally.
* Hessois Auguste Spies German, 31, journalist. * Louis Linng
, German, 22, carpenter will not be executed committed suicide in his cell. Story
execution by José Martí, Chicago correspondent of the newspaper La Nacion of Buenos Aires (Argentina):
... out of their cells. They shake hands, smile. I read the sentence, we hold hands in the back with handcuffs, I Cinch arms to the body with a leather band and they put a white shroud and the robe of Christian catechumens. Below is the audience sitting in rows of chairs in front of the scaffold as in a theater ... Firmness in the face of Fischer, prayer in the Spies, pride in the Parsons, Engel makes a joke about his hood, Spies shouts, "the voice you are going to put down will be more powerful in the future that few words I could say now." I lowered the hood, then a sign, a noise, the trap gives the four bodies fall and sway in a dance frightening ...
The Crime of Chicago took the lives of many workers and union leaders there is no exact number, but were thousands of dismissed, arrested processed, shot or tortured. Most were immigrants: Italian, English, German, Russian, Irish, Jews, Poles and Slavs.
Achieving eight working hours
hours late May 1886, several sectors employers agreed to grant the day of 8 hours to several hundreds of thousands of workers. The success was such that the Federation of Organized Trades and Unions expressed their joy in these words: "Never in the history of this country has been a general uprising among the masses as industrial. The desire for a reduction in working hours has led to millions of workers to join existing organizations, when so far had remained indifferent to union agitation. "
Today
Throughout the twentieth century, progress is labor were increasing with laws for workers, giving them rights to respect, remuneration and social protection. In the last ten years this progress fell under the influence of neoliberalism.
Today, many countries commemorate May Day and the origin of the modern labor movement. There are some who do not like the United States of America and Canada, celebrating Labor Day the first Monday in September, New Zealand, the fourth Monday in October. In other countries, the conclusion is no state in Australia that each federal state and thus decides to celebrate: the first Monday of October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and South Australia, the second Monday of March in Victoria and Tasmania, the first Monday of March, in Western Australia, and the first of May in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
In 1954 Pope Pius XII Catholic tacitly supported this day of collective memory to declare it as the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Lately it has been called this day as International Labor Day.
Other martyrs
The labor movement was not satisfied with this achievement, the struggle has not stopped ever. Forty years later, would be sentenced two immigrant anarchists also: Italians Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were called the Martyrs Boston.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/D% C3% ADa_Internacional_de_los_Trabajadores
