The historical importance of the date in the struggle for labor work, from Chicago from the nineteenth century to Portugal after April 25 and the challenges of the present and the future of work.
May 1st is a holiday in Portugal and in many countries of the world. The origin of this date is linked to difficult struggles, repression and historical achievements that still shape the world of work today.
Thanks to workers’ actions, millions of people have gained fundamental rights and protections: they were established Minimum wages, there are limits for working hours and people are entitled to paid vacation and the low medical.
Chicago, 1886: The beginning of the revolt
The origin of International Labor Day dates back to the nineteenth century in the United States. In 1886, thousands of workers organized a general strike to demand the reduction of the workday to eight hours a day.
The demonstrations in Chicago have become particularly violent. On May 4, during a protest in a bomb was launched against the police which led to violent clashes. Several people died and union leaders were sentenced to death or prison.
Three years later, in 1889, The International Workers Congress in Paris decided to honor Chicago workers and instituted May 1 as an international struggle day to improve working conditions.
To Europe, Labor Day is celebrated Normally on May 1, date that may vary from country to country.
In France, the government decreased the workload for 8 am in 1919 and proclaimed May 1 as a holiday.
Portugal: From clandestinity to freedom
In Portugal, the holiday began to be marked as early as 1890. However, the celebrations ceased with the beginning of the Estado Novo regime.
During the dictatorship, May 1st was prohibited in Portugal. Strikes and manifestations were harshly repressed and the unions were strongly controlled by the regime. Still, there were clandestine attempts to mark the date, often with serious consequences for those who participated.
The change only arrived with the . A week after Carnation Revolution The first May 1st was held in freedom, with great demonstrations across the country.
In Lisbon, more than half a million people fillsRam to the streets to celebrate freedom and claim work rights, at a historic moment that was recorded in photographs and iconic filming.
Today’s fights
The time of large factories and endless journeys has given way to a more diverse job market, but not so free of challenges.
In recent years, new questions have emerged: the impact of automation andos Effects of in the organization of work, the importance of conciliation between personal and professional life e and inequalities that persist between sectors and between men and women.
Between symbolism and mobilization
In Portugal, May 1st is organized mainly by and by which promote manifestations, rallies and initiatives across the country. If in some years the mobilization is more symbolic, in others, as in times of crisis or tense negotiations with the government, it gains greater social expression.
