May Day is coming soon. What is its origin and development history?

May Day is coming soon. What is its origin and development history?
May Day is one of the most common international holidays. How much do you know about its origin and development? Every day is a new beginning. To understand the fortune and do's and don'ts of each day in the fourth lunar month, visit Shuimoxiansheng.com for a special query on the fourth lunar month of 2020!

Origin and Development

At the end of the 18th century, the United States, Europe and many other countries gradually developed from capitalism to imperialism. In order to stimulate rapid economic development, squeeze more surplus value and maintain this high-speed capitalist machine, capitalists continued to increase working hours and labor intensity to cruelly exploit workers.
In the United States, workers work 14 to 16 hours a day, and some even work up to 18 hours a day, but their wages are very low. A supervisor at a shoe factory in Massachusetts once said: "Let a strong and healthy 18-year-old boy work next to any machine here, and I can make his hair turn gray when he is 22 years old!" The heavy class oppression aroused great anger among the proletariat. They knew that the only way to fight for the conditions of survival was to unite and fight against the capitalists through strike movements. The strike slogan raised by the workers was to demand the implementation of an eight-hour work day.
In 1877, the first national strike in American history began. The working class took to the streets to march and demonstrate, demanding that the government improve working and living conditions, shorten working hours, and implement an eight-hour work system. Soon after the strike began, the ranks of the strike gradually expanded, the number of union members increased dramatically, and workers from all over the country also joined the strike movement.
Under the strong pressure of the workers' movement, the U.S. Congress was forced to enact the eight-hour workday law. However, the vicious capitalists simply ignored it, and the law was just a piece of paper. The workers still lived in dire straits and were tortured by the capitalists. The workers, who could no longer bear it, decided to push the struggle for the right to survive to a new climax and prepare to launch a larger-scale strike.

Massive strike in Chicago

In October 1884, eight international and national workers' groups in the United States and Canada held a rally in Chicago, USA, and decided to hold a general strike on May 1, 1886 to force capitalists to implement an eight-hour work day. This day has finally arrived. On May 1, 350,000 workers from more than 20,000 companies in the United States stopped working and took to the streets for a massive demonstration. Workers of all skin colors and all trades went on a general strike. In Chicago alone, 45,000 workers took to the streets. Now, the main industrial sectors in the United States were paralyzed, trains became stiff, shops were silent, and all warehouses were closed and sealed.

Holiday confirmed

To commemorate this great workers' movement, in July 1889, at the founding congress of the Second International organized by Engels, it was announced that May 1st of each year would be designated as International Labor Day, abbreviated as "May 1st". This decision immediately received positive responses from workers around the world. On May 1, 1890, the working class in Europe and the United States took to the streets, holding grand demonstrations and rallies to fight for their legitimate rights and interests. From then on, every year on this day, working people from all over the world hold rallies and parades to celebrate.
Summary: The significance of International Labor Day lies in the fact that workers have fought for their legitimate rights and interests through struggle and with a tenacious, heroic and unyielding spirit. This is a historic progress in human civilization and democracy. This is the essence of May 1st Labor Day. That's why people attach so much importance to Labor Day.

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