Translated "Avante!" article by Angelo Alves, Member of the Political Committee of the CC and member of the International Department
“A great international demonstration has been established, in a set date, forever, so that, within all countries and towns, at that same day and time, workers ought to demand, before the public powers, that the work day is to be reduced unto eight hours and all the remaining decisions issued from the International congress are to be accomplished…”.
This is an extract from the working congresses’ Resolution, which took place in Paris, 1889, and is in the origin of May Day, as the Worker’s International Day. Far behind, were the North-American heroic workers’ struggles, for the eight hours working day, between 1885 and 1886, and the Chicago massacre, in May 6th,1886 - the Haymarket massacre - unleashed upon a bombing defiance, organized by the authorities in order to justify the brutal repression against workers. Repression which was to result in many dead, numerous imprisonments and hundreds of wounded, and the hanging of four of the eight working leaders, known as the “Chicago martyrs”.
The 125 years ago decision, of celebrating the worker’s international day, was a qualitative leap of great achievement within the worker’s class struggle, the performing of a new class struggle stage, which was hastily intensifying with the massive exploitation during the second half of the XIX century, along with the industrial revolution, proving and adopting the Marxist theory adequacy, that in capitalism, the struggle for the establishing of the day’s work is the struggle for its rollback.
This event, together with two other great marks of the second half of the century - the Communist Manifesto publishing in 1848 and the Paris Commune in 1871 - are very outstanding advances in workers’ conscience on the role of their unity and organization, and power as a class. Advances that later on, in 1917, were present and materialized in the October Revolution, with all it signified of the extraordinary advances in workers’ struggle, rights achievement and the liaison for those same rights’ struggle unto the struggle against capitalism towards socialism.
When this Avante! edition reaches the readers, one ought to be, in our country, a few hours away from beginning the 40 years celebrations of the first May Day, in freedom. Worldwide, throughout all continents, in thousand and thousand of towns, millions and millions of workers will be on the streets. In Chicago and the USA, the struggle will take place within a country where inequalities are currently of such brutality that ought to be compared to the long ago eighties, in the XIX century, and where the dominant classes stubbornly insist in carrying on hindering the economic and social clock bomb, which currently is the main world imperialist power and use, once more, violence and war in order to hold their power.
Worldwide, the civilization regression effects imposed by imperialism, are in the centre of demands. Almost 130 years upon the Chicago massacre, capitalism, not only bared, but deepened its exploiter, oppressor, aggressive and inhuman character. The class struggle is more alight than ever, the system being emerged in a deep crisis, Fascism raises its head, imperialist war affects several regions throughout the globe. Worldwide, hunger, unemployment and poverty grow exponentially. The timetable concept in itself is under attack and within capitalism main centres, the state acquires more and more repressive and reactionary contours. But as in the old days, millions and millions will not give up struggling, even at their lives’ risk. And the lesson one ought to withdraw from these almost 130 years of History, is that workers’ unity round their class interests, are the architects of the future.