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The birth and significance of May Day:
Workers' International Solidarity Day
A GNA feature by Shaw Q. Adibi
Accra, April 30, Ghanadot/GNA - Ghanaian workers will join their
global counterparts to joyously celebrate this year's 117th
May Day annual event with the national parade at the
Independent Square in Accra to commemorate the occasion.
The theme for Ghana's 41st: "Labour and Nation Building:
Fifty Years and Beyond" has been chosen by the joint
sponsors of the celebration called "Organised Labour" to
reflect the country's current golden jubilee.
The global anniversary was first observed on May 1, 1890
after its proclamation by the first international congress
of socialist parties in Europe held on July 14, 1889 in
Paris, France, to dedicate May 1 every year as a "Workers'
Day of International Unity and Solidarity."
As is the usual practice on such occasions, the Head of
State, President John Agyekum Kufuor has been invited to
address the 2007 National May Day parade.
The origin of May Day
This global workers' day dates back to May 1-4, 1886 when
some courageous leaders in the United States of America
called a general strike to back their demand for a legal
guarantee for an eight-hour working day.
It was reported that at the famous Haymarket Square in
Chicago City, USA, violence erupted when the police fired on
the striking workers, which resulted in the killing of eight
armed police and other people.
As a result of that disturbance, the four courageous
ringleaders, namely August Spies; George Engel; Adolf
Fischer and Albert Richard Parson were arrested, convicted
and hanged on November 11, 1887. Others like Oscar W. Reebe
and Michael Scwab were sentenced to life imprisonment.
These Haymarket Square martyrs were later honoured with a
special monument at their graveside in Chicago, which was
dedicated on June 25, 1893.
On the following day, June 26, 1893, the Governor of
Illinois, USA overruled the earlier court judgement of life
sentence for the remaining surviving striking leaders in
jail and freed them.
As a sequel, a boon befell the USA workers in February 1889
when the American Federation of Labour (AFL) eventually
petitioned and obtained their desired minimum wage and an
eight-hour working day. This was later incorporated into an
international Agreement on Safety at Workplaces held at the
Bordeaux Congress and the automatic adoption by the French
Trade Unions and other institutions.
Subsequently, this workers' revolt against capitalism later
spread like wild fire to many European countries which
culminated in the convening of the first international
Congress of Socialist Parties in Paris, France, on July 14,
1889 which gave birth to the celebration of the
international solidarity workers' day which has become a
glorious tradition for workers’ movements throughout the
world up to today.
It was reported that the first May Day celebration focused
on a slogan: "For Peace and Against Threats of War" which
added more vigour to their earlier demands for an eight-hour
working day.
This demand of May Day was intensified in Western Europe and
Russia, which propelled the Great October Revolution to
usher in Communism.
The maiden global May Day celebration was reportedly marked
with massive demonstrations and strikes in Germany; France;
Belgium; Austria; Hungary; Italy; Switzerland; the
Scandinavian countries; Romania; USA; RUSSIA; Mexico;
Argentina and Cuba.
It is pertinent to point out that in those days most African
countries, with the exception of perhaps Ethiopia, Liberia
and Egypt, were all colonies of various European powers,
especially Britain, France, Spain and Portugal.
So when Ghana became independent in 1957, Ghanaian workers
observed their first May Day in 1965, three years after a
full-fledged Republican status at which Osagyefo Dr Kwame
Nkrumah, an intimate friend of labour, was declared the
"First Number One Worker" and was decorated with a May Day
Award by the TUC under the leadership of Mr J.K. Tettegah,
Secretary-General.
The May Day celebration was suspended in the wake of the
first military coup on 24 February 1966, which toppled
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People’s party (CPP)
Government.
The celebration was resumed in 1967 after the January 13,
1972 military coup led by General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
This event was marked with a Grand National parade held at
the forecourt of the Accra Community Centre.
It was attended by hundreds of workers from the Accra-Tema
Metropolitan Area which saw the formal institutionalisation
of May Day awards to selected dedicated workers of the TUC
led by Secretary-General Alhaji A.M. Issiful.
Regional Rotation of Parades
After the country's third military coup of December 31, 1981
which was dubbed "December 31 Revolution" the Executive
Board of the TUC decided to decentralize the national
parades to the regional capitals by rotation to enable each
region to experience the hosting of such important workers’
anniversary events.
In pursuit of this rotation system, Koforidua held it in
1989 followed by Tamale; Takoradi; Obuasi (Ashanti); Cape
coast and Ho (2002). Wa, Bolgatanga and Sunyani are three
regions left for the rotational system to complete.
Over the years, these colourful parades are often
characterized with floats and jubilations by workers, both
unionised and non-unionised, such as farmers, fishers,
market traders and various voluntary organisations.
This year's celebration under the sponsorship of Organised
Labour will involve the TUC, Ghana National Association of
Teachers (GNAT); the Civil Servants Association and Ghana
Registered Nurses Association among other organisations.
Interestingly, the May Day Awards which were
institutionalised in 1967 with only "certificates of honour"
have now been up-graded to such souvenirs as electronic
gadgets in addition to certificates and badges to workers
from the 17 National Unions at both national and regional
parades for the dedicated and meritorious services rendered
to the 42-year old TUC.
GNA
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