Thanks Jerry, for the May Day background and provocative questions. In Perth we celebrated by forming a human barricade, preventing access to the Stock Exchange Building. The police ran over us with horses, and I got a nice bruise on the back to show for the day's efforts. I felt the whole event was largely publicity or "show", however, and a far cry from the historic struggle for an 8 hour day! For one thing, workers on the barricade were few and far between - the workers were the people trying to get into the building to work.... Who attends these events in America and Europe? Is it the workers? Or is it students and the unemployed mostly? How much input do working class organisations have into protests like the one at Seattle? Here the environmental parties (like the greens) and community and/or student groups do most of the organising, with a little photocopying help and leaflet distribution courtesy of the CP and DSP (democratic socialist party). My guess is that most Australian workers are largely indifferent to May Day, and this indifference is the most important impediment to advancing the cause... But it may be a different situation in other Australian cities. Perth is said to be the most isolated city on earth, and this cautions against generalisation, perhaps. Do others have any thoughts, May Day experiences to share? comradely, Nicky > *** Happy May Day! *** I. Historical Background ================ >Long before there was capitalism, there were spring-time holidays at this >time of the year (just as long before there was Christmas, etc. there >were holidays in many other societies at about that time each year.) Such >holidays were based on agricultural cycles and tied to movements of the >Sun and the Moon. May Day, though, has its modern origins in the This > movement, which was pre-dated by the "10-Hour Day Movement" in the US in >the 1820's and 1830's, had begun in the period after the Civil War and >reached its climax in the MAY 1, 1886 The 1886 strike had been >organized by an infant (and very different!) American Federation of Labor >(AFL), which efforts at organizing with a resolution passed two years >before at the 1884 convention. included 350,000 workers with the main >center of strike In the period afterwards, the 8-hour-day was won by >approximately 185,000 Just days after the "first May Day", on May 4, >1886, there was the infamous HAYMARKET A number of working-class >leaders (primarily anarchists and anarcho- syndicalists) were arrested and >tried (4 of them were hanged on November 1, 1887; 3 more were given >supposedly, according to the police, committed suicide). Later, it was >the SECOND INTERNATIONAL, at its founding conference in 1889, that passed >a resolution establishing May 1 as a day of celebration by the world >working-class. With the coming of McCarthyism, "LABOR DAY" was created >as an ALTERNATIVE to May Day. Labor Day had the advantage, from the >standpoint of conservative business, government and labor 'leaders' of not >having an association with is not a holiday most workers. This is >probably true for most other countries in the world as well. II. Some >Controversies in Political Economy ============================== >has STILL not What would be required for that struggle to (finally!) >become successful? if the working day is intended, but workers are >paid "time + 1/2" for overtime (i.e. working in excess of 8 hours) to what >extent (if any) does this extension of the working day still ABSOLUTE >SURPLUS VALUE? 3. There is some controversy among labor historians about >the major stimulus for and demands of the 8-hour-day movement. One group >of historians argue that the 1886 sought a SHORTENED The belief here >was that the AFL leaders and some other radicals of the time believed >that unemployment had been increased by TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, i.e.in this >context, the a mandatory maximum of 8 hours per day labor would help >create and protect workers' jobs. the demand for a short workweek is >still a major demand by trade unionists and there continue to be major >struggles over it (e.g. the early 1980's strike by the German >Metalworkers Federation, I.G. Metall). A belief of this movement has >always been that labor-saving technical change under capitalism results in >additional macro unemployment. Is What other variables and developments >have to be taken into consideration when addressing this issue? the >working day could not be legally extended past 8 hours per day, how many > MORE JOBS would be created in the U.S.? How many internationally? 5. >Another group of labor historians argue that the more significant source >for the 1886 May Day strike was the demand by workers for They point to > a popular slogan of the time: "8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for work, 8 >hours for what we will". Instead of being a defensive movement (to >protect and create employment) this is a slogan highlights the fact >that workers are more than what capital conceives, i.e. they are human >beings with families, aspirations and dreams. This demand for additional >leisure time also has a long tradition in the working-class. Perhaps it >is best epitomized by the title of a pamphlet by Paul Lafargue: Many >view working-class struggles for increased VACATION TIME as Note, >though, that unless production is stopped (at it almost is in certain >European countries, like Italy, in August), that capitalists have to hire >(at least temporary, part-time) workers to fill-in for those who are on >vacation. Thus, increased employment is a consequence of winning this >demand even if it isn't the main goal. How important are these What >other contemporary struggles seek to EXTEND the rights of workers >6. From the standpoint of the Protestant work ethic and capital, laziness >is an anathema. From a working-class perspective, is it good to be lazy? >Are there still ways under capitalism in which workers can effectively >assert their right to be lazy and create spaces for laziness? What are >some other political-economic controversies associated with May Day? In >solidarity, Jerry ---------------------------------- Nicola Mostyn (Taylor) Faculty of Economics Murdoch University Australia Telephone: 61-8-9385 1130
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