International Workers' Day
International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries[1] and often referred to as May Day,[2][3] is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on 1 May,[4][5] or the first Monday in May.
| International Workers' Day | |
|---|---|
2013 International Workers’ Day demonstration in Austria | |
| Official name | International Workers’ Day |
| Also called | May Day |
| Celebrations | Various, depending on the country; mostly parades, marches, barbecues |
| Date | 1 May |
| Next time | 1 May 2024 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to |
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Traditionally, 1 May is the date of the European spring festival of May Day. In 1889, the Marxist International Socialist Congress met in Paris and established the Second International as a successor to the earlier International Workingmen's Association. They adopted a resolution for a "great international demonstration" in support of working-class demands for the eight-hour day. The 1 May date was chosen by the American Federation of Labor to commemorate a general strike in the United States, which had begun on 1 May 1886 and culminated in the Haymarket affair four days later. The demonstration subsequently became a yearly event.[5] The 1904 Sixth Conference of the Second International, called on "all Social Democratic Party organisations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on the First of May for the legal establishment of the eight-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace".[6]
The 1st of May, or first Monday in May, is a national public holiday in many countries, in most cases as "International Workers' Day" or a similar name. Some countries celebrate a Labour Day on other dates significant to them, such as the United States and Canada, which celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September.[7] In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated 1 May to "Saint Joseph the Worker". Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers and craftsmen, among others.[8][9]
Origin edit
On 21 April 1856, Australian stonemasons in Victoria undertook a mass stoppage as part of the eight-hour workday movement.[10] It became a yearly commemoration, inspiring American workers to have their first stoppage.[11] 1 May was chosen to be International Workers' Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago.[12] In that year beginning on 1 May, there was a general strike for the eight-hour workday. On 4 May, the police acted to disperse a public assembly in support of the strike when an unidentified person threw a bomb. The police responded by firing on the workers. The event led to the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians; sixty police officers were injured, as were one hundred and fifteen civilians.[13][14] Hundreds of labour leaders and sympathizers were later rounded-up and four were executed by hanging, after a trial that was seen as a miscarriage of justice.[15][nb 1] The following day on 5 May, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the state militia fired on a crowd of strikers killing seven, including a schoolboy and a man feeding chickens in his yard.[17]
In 1889, the first meeting of the Second International was held in Paris, following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne that called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests.[5] On 1 May 1890, the call encouraged May Day demonstrations took place in the United States and most countries in Europe.[18] Demonstrations were also held in Chile and Peru.[18] May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891.[19][20] Subsequently, the May Day riots of 1894 occurred. The International Socialist Congress, Amsterdam 1904 called on "all Social Democratic Party organisations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on the First of May for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace."[6] The congress made it "mandatory upon the proletarian organisations of all countries to stop work on 1 May, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers."[6]
In the United States and Canada, a September holiday, called Labor or Labour Day, was first proposed in the 1880s. In 1882, Matthew Maguire, a machinist, first proposed a Labor Day holiday on the first Monday of September[nb 2] while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York.[21] Others argue that it was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor in May 1882,[22] after witnessing the annual labour festival held in Toronto, Canada.[23] In 1887, Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty US states officially celebrated Labor Day.[22] Thus by 1887 in North America, Labour Day was an established, official holiday but in September,[24] not on 1 May.
May Day has been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups since the Second International. May Day is one of the most important holidays in communist countries such as China, Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and the former Soviet Union countries. May Day celebrations in these countries typically feature elaborate workforce parades, including displays of military hardware and soldiers.
In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated 1 May to "Saint Joseph the Worker". Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers and craftsmen, among others.[8][9]
Today, the majority of countries around the world celebrate a workers' day on 1 May.
Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc under socialist governments edit
Eastern Bloc countries such as the Soviet Union and most countries of central and eastern Europe that were under the rule of Marxist–Leninist governments held official May Day celebrations in every town and city, during which party leaders greeted the crowds. Workers carried banners with political slogans and many companies decorated their company cars. The biggest celebration of 1 May usually occurred in the capital of a particular socialist country and usually included a military display and the presence of the president and the secretary general of the party. During the Cold War, May Day became the occasion for large military parades in Red Square by the Soviet Union and attended by the top leaders of the Kremlin, especially the Politburo, atop Lenin's Mausoleum. It became an enduring symbol of that period. In Poland, since 1982, party leaders led the official parades. In Hungary, May Day was officially celebrated under the communist rule, and remains a public holiday. Traditionally, the day was marked by dancing around designated "May trees".[25] Some factories in socialist countries were named in honour of International Workers' Day, such as 1 Maja Coal Mine in Wodzisław Śląski, Poland. In East Germany, the holiday was officially known as Internationaler Kampf- und Feiertag der Werktätigen für Frieden und Sozialismus ("International Day of the Struggle and Celebration of the Workers for Peace and Socialism"); similar names were used in other Eastern Bloc countries.
By country edit
Africa edit
Algeria edit
In Algeria, 1 May is a public holiday celebrated as Labour Day.[26]
Angola edit
1 May is recognized as public holiday in Angola and called Workers' Day.[27]
Egypt edit
In Egypt, 1 May is known as Labour Day and is considered a paid holiday. The President of Egypt traditionally presides over the official May Day celebrations.[28]
Ethiopia edit
In Ethiopia, 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as Worker's Day.[29]
Ghana edit
1 May is a holiday in Ghana. It is a day to celebrate all workers across the country. It is celebrated with a parade by trade unions and labour associations.[30] The parades are normally addressed by the Secretary General of the trade union congress and by regional secretaries in the regions.[30] Workers from different workplaces through banners and T-shirts identify their companies.[30]
Kenya edit
In Kenya, 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as Labour Day. It is a big day addressed by the leaders of the workers' umbrella union body – the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU). The Cabinet Secretary in charge of Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (and occasionally the President) address the workers. Each year, the government approves (and increases) the minimum wage on Labour Day.[31]
Libya edit
In Libya, International Workers' Day was declared a national public holiday by the National Transitional Council in 2012 the first year of the post-Qaddafi era.[32]
On 1 May 1978, then Libyan leader Colonel Mu'ammar Al-Qaddafi addressed the nation in the capital city of Tripoli calling for administrative and also economic reforms across Libya.[33]
Mauritius edit
In Mauritius, 1 May is a public holiday celebrated as Labour Day. It was celebrated for the first time in Mauritius on 1 May 1938, and for the first time as an official public holiday on 1 May 1950. This was thanks largely to the efforts of Guy Rozemont, Dr. Maurice Curé, Pandit Sahadeo and Emmanuel Anquetil, as a day of special significance for Mauritian workers who for many years had struggled for their social, political and economic rights. And, as we all can see for ourselves, that struggle is a never-ending one.[34]
Morocco edit
In Morocco, 1 May is recognized as a public holiday.[35]
Mozambique edit
Celebrates workers day on 1 May in Mozambique.[36]
Namibia edit
1 May is recognized as public holiday in Namibia and celebrated as Workers' Day.[37]
Nigeria edit
Since 1981, 1 May is a public holiday in Nigeria. On the day, people gather while, traditionally, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress and other politicians address workers.[38]
Somalia edit
In Somalia, 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as the Labour Day.[39]
South Africa edit
In South Africa, Workers' Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on 1 May each year since 1995.[40] May Day started to get more attention by African workers in 1928, which saw thousands of workers in a mass march. In 1950, the South African Communist Party called for a strike on 1 May in response to the Suppression of Communism Act declaring it illegal. Police violence caused the death of 18 people across Soweto. It has its origins within the historical struggles of workers and their trade unions internationally for solidarity between working people in their struggles to win fair employment standards and more importantly, to establish a culture of human and worker rights and to ensure that these are enshrined in international law and the national law.[41]
In 1986, the hundredth anniversary of the Haymarket affair, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) called for the government to establish an official holiday on 1 May. It also called for workers to stay home from work that day.[42] COSATU was joined by a number of prominent anti-apartheid organizations, including the National Education Crisis Committee and the United Democratic Front (South Africa).[43] The call was also supported by a number of organizations regarded as conservative, such as the African Teachers' Association of South Africa, the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce, and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa, an organization that represented employers in the metal industries.[43] More than 1,500,000 workers observed the call and stayed home, as did thousands of students, taxi drivers, vendors, shopkeepers, domestic workers, and self-employed people.[43] In the following years, 1 May became a popular, if not official, holiday.[42] As a result of the killings on May Day 1950 and the success of COSATU's call in 1986, 1 May became associated with resistance to the apartheid government. After its first universal election in 1994, 1 May was adopted as a public holiday, celebrated for the first time in 1995.[42] On its website, the city of Durban states that the holiday "celebrate[s] the role played by trade unions and other labour movements in the fight against South Africa's apartheid regime".[44]
Tanzania edit
In Tanzania, it is a public holiday on 1 May and celebrated as the Worker's Day.[45]
Tunisia edit
1 May is recognized as Labour Day within Tunisia, and is a paid public holiday[46]
Uganda edit
In Uganda, Labour Day is a public holiday on 1 May.[47]
Zimbabwe edit
1 May is recognized as a public holiday in Zimbabwe and called Workers' Day.[48]
Americas edit
Argentina edit
In Argentina, Workers' Day is an official holiday on 1 May, and is frequently associated with labour unions. Celebrations related to labour are held including demonstrations in major cities.
The first Workers' Day celebration was in 1890, when Argentinian unions organized several celebrations in Buenos Aires and other cities, at the same time that the international labour movement celebrated it for the first time.[49] In 1930, it was established as an official holiday by the Radical Civic Union president Hipólito Yrigoyen. The day became particularly significant during the worker-oriented government of Juan Domingo Perón (1946–55).[50] He permitted and endorsed national recognition of the holiday during his tenure in office.
Bolivia edit
1 May is known as Labour Day and is a holiday.[51] By custom, it is usually the day on which wage increases (e.g., the national minimum wage) and other labor improvements are announced by the Government. In recent years it was also the day chosen by the Bolivian government to announce the (re)nationalization of strategic sectors of the economy (e.g. hydrocarbons in 2006, telecommunications in 2008, electricity in 2010, etc.).
Brazil edit
In Brazil, "Workers' Day" is an official holiday celebrated on 1 May, and unions commemorate it with day-long public events.[52]
Canada edit
In Canada, Labour Day is celebrated in September. In 1894, the government of Prime Minister John Sparrow David Thompson declared the first Monday in September as Canada's official Labour Day. Labor Day in the United States is on the same day.
May Day is however marked by unions and leftists. It is celebrated on 1 May. May Day is an important day of trade union and community group protest in the province of Quebec (though not a provincial statutory holiday). Celebration of the International Labour Day (or "International Workers' Day"; French: Journée internationale des travailleurs) in Montreal goes back to 1906, organized by the Mutual Aid circle. The tradition had a renaissance at the time of a mass strike in 1972. On the 1973 May Day, the first contemporary demonstration was organized by the major trade union confederations; over 30,000 trade unionists took part in this demonstration. Further, it is the customary date on which the minimum wage rises.[53]
Chile edit
President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo decreed 1 May a national holiday in 1931, in honour of the dignity of workers.[54] All stores and public services must close for the entire day, and the major trade unions of Chile, represented in the national organization Workers' United Center of Chile (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores), organize rallies during the morning hours, with festivities and cookouts in the later part of the day, in all the major cities of Chile. During these rallies, representatives of the major left-wing political parties speak to the assemblies on the issues of the day concerning workers' rights.
Colombia edit
1 May has long been recognized as Labour Day and almost all workers respect it as a national holiday.[55] As in many other countries, it is common to see rallies by the trade unions in all over the main regional capitals of the country.[56]
Costa Rica edit
First celebrated in 1913,[57] labor day is a public holiday, and at the same time an important day for government activities. On this day, the President of Costa Rica gives a speech to the citizens and the legislature of Costa Rica about the duties that were undertaken through the previous year. The president of the legislature is also chosen by its members.[58]
Cuba edit
This day is known as Labour Day in Cuba. People march in the streets, showing their support to the Cuban Communist government and the Cuban Revolution during the whole morning.[59]
Dominican Republic edit
1 May is a national holiday known as Labour Day and celebrated by workers' parades and demonstration.
Ecuador edit
In Ecuador, 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day. People do not go to work and spend time with their relatives or gather for demonstrations.[60]
El Salvador edit
1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day.[61]
Guatemala edit
1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day.[62]
Haiti edit
1 May is an official public holiday known as Agriculture and Labour Day.[63]
Honduras edit
1 May is an official holiday, known as "Labour Day" within Honduras.[64]
Mexico edit
1 May is a federal holiday. It also commemorates the Cananea Strike of 1906 in the Mexican state of Sonora.
Panama edit
1 May is an official public holiday, known as "Labour Day" within Panama.[65]
Paraguay edit
1 May is an official public holiday, known as "Labour Day" within Paraguay.[66]
Peru edit
1 May is an official public holiday, known as "Labour Day" within Peru.[67]
United States edit
In the United States, a "Labor Day", celebrated on the first Monday of each September was given increasing state recognition from 1887, and became an official federal holiday in 1894.[24]
Efforts to switch Labor Day from September to 1 May have not been successful.
In 1947, 1 May was established as Loyalty Day by the U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars as a way to counter communist influence and recruitment at May Day rallies.[68] Loyalty Day was celebrated across the country with patriotic parades and ceremonies, however the growing conflict over U.S. involvement in Vietnam detracted from the popularity of these celebrations.[68] In 1958, the American Bar Association campaigned to have 1 May designated as Law Day, which was acknowledged in 1961 by a joint resolution of Congress.[69] Law Day exercises, such as mock trials and courthouse tours, are often sponsored by the American Bar Association.
Unions and Political organizations including anarchist groups and socialist and communist parties have kept the international May Day tradition alive with rallies and demonstrations. In 1919 especially large demonstrations took place, and violence greeted the normally peaceful parades in Boston, New York, and Cleveland and a number of people were killed.[70][71] In Milwaukee, an annual commemoration takes place at the site of the killing of seven workers during an 8-hour march.[17] Some of the largest examples of this occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when hundreds of thousands of workers marched in May Day parades in New York's Union Square, while cities like Chicago and Duluth saw large demonstrations organized by the Communist Party.
In 2006, 1 May was chosen by mostly Latino immigrant groups in the United States as the day for the Great American Boycott, a general strike of undocumented immigrant workers and supporters to protest H.R. 4437, immigration reform legislation that they felt was draconian. From 10 April to 1 May of that year, immigrant families in the U.S. called for immigrant rights, workers' rights and amnesty for undocumented workers. They were joined by socialist and other leftist organizations on 1 May.[72][73] On 1 May 2007, a mostly peaceful demonstration in Los Angeles in support of undocumented immigrant workers ended with a widely televised dispersal by police officers. In March 2008, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced that dockworkers will move no cargo at any West Coast ports on 1 May 2008, as a protest against the continuation of the Iraq War and the diversion of resources from domestic needs.[74]
On 1 May 2012, members of Occupy Wall Street and labor unions held protests together in a number of cities in the United States and Canada to commemorate May Day and to protest the state of the economy and economic inequality.[75][76]
On 1 May 2017, immigrants' rights advocates, labor unions and leftists held protests against the immigration and economic policies of President Donald Trump in cities throughout the US, Chicago and Los Angeles having some of the largest marches.[77][78]
On 1 May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, "workers at Amazon, Whole Foods, Instacart, Walmart, FedEx, Target, and Shipt say they will walk off the job ... to protest their employers’ failure to provide basic protections for frontline workers who are risking and losing their lives at work."[79] Additionally, on the same day, there will be a rent strike, the largest in nearly a century.[80]
On 1 May 2021, black bloc protesters clashed with police in Oakland & Portland. Numerous other May Day activities occurred across the country.[81]
Uruguay edit
In Uruguay, 1 May – Workers' Day – is an official holiday. Even when it is associated with labour unions, almost all workers tend to respect it. Since the late 1990s, the main event takes place at the First of May Square in Montevideo.[citation needed]
Venezuela edit
1 May is an official holiday in Venezuela. El Día del Trabajador is celebrated on 1 May in Venezuela since 1936, but from 1938 to 1945 it was held on 24 July, by an order of Eleazar López Contreras. However, Isaías Medina Angarita changed it back to 1 May in 1945.[82]
East Asia edit
Mainland China edit
1 May is a statutory holiday in the People's Republic of China. It was a three-day holiday until 2008, but was only one day between 2008 and 2019,[83] and was restored to three days after 2019.[84][85] During a Golden Week, surrounding weekends are rescheduled so that workers always have seven continuous days off.
Hong Kong edit
In Hong Kong, 1 May is known as Labour Day and has been considered a public holiday since 1999.
Macau edit
In Macau, it is a public holiday and is officially known as Dia do Trabalhador (Portuguese for "Workers' Day").[citation needed]
Taiwan edit
1 May is known as Labor Day in Taiwan, an official holiday, though not everybody gets a day off. Students and teachers do not have this day off.[86]
Japan edit
May Day is not officially designated by the Japanese government as a national holiday, but as it lies between other national holidays, it is a day off work for the vast majority of Japanese workers. Many employers give it as a day off, and otherwise workers take it as "paid leave". 1 May occurs during "Golden Week", together with 29 April ("Shōwa Day"), 3 May ("Constitution Memorial Day"), 4 May ("Greenery Day") and 5 May ("Children's Day").[87] Workers generally take the day off work not so much to join street rallies or labour union gatherings, but more to go on holiday for several consecutive days (in Japanese corporate culture, taking weekdays off for personal pleasure is widely frowned upon).
Some major labour unions organize rallies and demonstrations in Tokyo,[88] Osaka, and Nagoya.[89] Japan has a long history of labour activism and has had a communist and socialist party in the Diet since 1945. In 2008, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenrōren) held a rally in Yoyogi Park attended by 44,000 participants, while the National Trade Unions Council (Zenrōkyō) held its May Day rally at Hibiya Park.[citation needed] Rengō, the largest Japanese trade union, held its May Day rally on the following Saturday (3 May), allegedly to distance itself from the more radical labour unions.[citation needed]
North Korea edit
In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 1 May is known as International Workers' Day, and is a public holiday. Celebrations, local meetings and rallies are held every year throughout the country to honor the holiday.[90] The Rungnado May Day Stadium in the capital of Pyongyang is named in honor of the holiday.
South Korea edit
In the Republic of Korea, 1 May is known simply as "Workers' Day". It is not a public holiday, but a paid holiday for workers by the Designation of Workers' Day Act.[nb 3]
Europe edit
Albania edit
Labour Day (Albanian: Dita e punëtorëve) is an official holiday celebrated on 1 May and thus schools and most businesses are closed.[92]
Armenia edit
Labour Day (Armenian: Աշխատանքի օր, ashxatanki or) is an official holiday celebrated on 1 May.[93]
Austria edit
Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit), officially called Staatsfeiertag (state's holiday), is a public holiday in Austria. Left parties, especially social democrats organize celebrations with marches and speeches in all major cities. In smaller towns and villages those marches are held the night before.[citation needed]
Belgium edit
In Belgium, Labour Day (Dutch: Dag van de Arbeid, Feest van de Arbeid, French: Journée des travailleurs, Fête du travail), is observed on 1 May and is an official holiday since 1948.[94] Various socialist and communist organizations hold parades and other events in different cities.[95]
Bosnia and Herzegovina edit
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1 and 2 May (Bosnian and Serbian: Prvi Maj / Први Mај, Croatian: Prvi Svibanj) are an official holiday and day-off for public bodies and schools at the national level. Most people celebrate this holiday by visiting natural parks and resorts. Additionally, in some places public events are organized. In its capital city, Sarajevo, 12 and 13 June are also celebrated as Labour day[citation needed] due to its many natural parks and springs.
Bulgaria edit
Labour Day is one of the public holidays in Bulgaria, where it is known as Labour Day and International Workers' Solidarity Day (Bulgarian: Ден на труда и на международната работническа солидарност) and celebrated annually on 1 May.[96] The first attempt to celebrate it was in 1890 by the Bulgarian Typographical Association. In 1939, Labour Day was declared an official holiday. Since 1945 the communist authorities in the People's Republic of Bulgaria began to celebrate the holiday every year. After the end of socialism in Bulgaria in 1989 Labour Day continues to be an official and public holiday, but state authorities are not committed to the organization of mass events.[citation needed]
Croatia edit
In Croatia, 1 May is a national holiday. Many public events are organized and held all over the country where bean soup is given out to all people as a symbol of a real workers' dish. Red carnations are also handed out to symbolise the origin of the day. In Zagreb, the capital, a major gathering is in Maksimir Park, which is located in the east part of Zagreb. In Split, city on the coast, people go to Marjan, a park-forest at the western end of Split peninsula.[97]
Cyprus edit
In Cyprus, 1 May (Greek: Εργατική Πρωτομαγιά) is considered as an official Public Holiday (Labour Day). In general, all stores remain closed in public and private sector. The Labor Union and Syndicates celebrate with various festivals and events across the country.[citation needed]
Czech Republic edit
In the Czech Republic, 1 May is an official and national holiday known as Labour Day (Czech: Svátek práce).[98]
Denmark edit
In Denmark, 1 May is not an official holiday, but a variety of individuals, mostly in the public sector, construction industry, and production industry, get a half or a whole day off. It was first celebrated in Copenhagen in 1890. The location of the first celebration, the Fælledparken, still plays an important part today with speeches by politicians and trade unionists to mark the occasion. Many other events are also held around the country to commemorate the day.[99]
Estonia edit
In Estonia, 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as part of May Day (Kevadpüha). It also coincides with Walpurgis Day (volbripäev).[citation needed]
Finland edit
In Finland, 1 May is an official and national holiday. It is mainly celebrated as a feast of students, and spring, called vappu or Walpurgis Night.[100] Finland also celebrates Workers' Day (officially: suomalaisen työn päivä, "day of Finnish labour") on the same day.
France edit
In France, 1 May is a public holiday. It is, in fact, the only day of the year when employees are legally obliged to be given leave, save professions that cannot be interrupted due to their nature (such as workers in hospitals and public transport).[101] Demonstrations and marches are a Labour Day tradition in France, where trade unions organize parades in major cities to defend workers' rights. It is also customary to offer a lily of the valley to friends or family. This custom dates back to 1561, when king Charles IX, aged 10, waiting for his accession to the throne, gave a lily of the valley to all ladies present. Today, the fiscal administration exempts individuals and workers' organizations from any tax or administrative duties related to the sales of lilies of the valley, provided they are gathered from the wild, and not bought to be resold.
Germany edit
In April 1933, the recently installed Nazi government declared 1 May the "Day of National Work", an official state holiday, and announced that all celebrations were to be organized by the government. Any separate celebrations by Communists, Social Democrats or labour unions were banned.[citation needed] After World War II, 1 May remained a state holiday in both East and West Germany. In communist East Germany, workers were de facto required to participate in large state-organized parades on May Day.[citation needed] Today in Germany it is simply called "Labour Day" (Tag der Arbeit), and there are numerous demonstrations and celebrations by independent workers' organizations. Today, Berlin witnesses yearly demonstrations on May Day, the largest organised by labour unions, political parties, the far left and the leftist Autonomen.
Since 1987, May Day has also become known for riots in some districts of Berlin. After police actions against radical leftists in that year's annual demonstrations, the Autonomen scattered and sought cover at the ongoing annual street fair in Kreuzberg. Three years prior to the reunification of Germany, violent protests would only take place in the former West Berlin. The protesters began tipping over police cars, violently resisting arrest, and began building barricades after the police withdrew due to the unforeseen resistance. Cars were set on fire, shops plundered and burned to the ground. The police eventually ended the riots the following night. These violent forms of protests by the radical left later increasingly involved participants without political motivation.[102]
Annual street fairs have proven an effective way to prevent riots, and May Day in 2005 and 2006 have been among the most peaceful known to Berlin in nearly 25 years. In recent years, neo-Nazis and other groups on the far right, such as the National Democratic Party of Germany, have used the day to schedule public demonstrations, often leading to clashes with left-wing protesters, which turned especially violent in Leipzig in 1998 and 2005.[citation needed]
May Day violence flared up again in 2010. After an approved far-right demonstration was blocked by leftists, a parade by an estimated 10,000 leftists and anarchists turned violent and resulted in an active response by the Berlin Police.[103]
Greece edit
In Greece 1 May is an optional public holiday. The Ministry of Labour retains the right to classify it as an official public holiday on an annual basis, and it customarily does so.[104] The day is called Ergatikí Proto-magiá (Εργατική Πρωτομαγιά, lit. "Workers' 1 May") and celebrations are marked by demonstrations in which left-wing political parties, anti-authority groups, and workers' unions participate. On May Day in 2010, there were major protests all over Greece, most notably Athens and Thessaloniki, by many left, anarchist and communist supporters and some violent clashes with riot police who were sent out to contain the protesters. They opposed economic reforms, an end to job losses and wage cuts in the face of the government's proposals of massive public spending cuts. These reforms are to fall in line with the IMF-EU-ECB loan proposals, which demand that Greece liberalize its economy and cut its public spending and private sector wages, which many believe will decrease living standards.[105]
Hungary edit
Hungary celebrates 1 May as a national holiday, with open-air festivities and fairs all over the country. Many towns raise May poles and festivals with various themes are organized around the holiday. Left-wing parties and trade unions hold public rallies commemorating Labour Day.[106]
Iceland edit
In Iceland the Labour Day (Icelandic: Baráttudagur verkalýðsins) is a public holiday. The first demonstration for workers rights in Iceland occurred in 1923. A parade composed of trade unions and other groups marches through towns and cities across the country and speeches are delivered.[107] However, some private businesses are open, mainly in the capital.[108]
Ireland edit
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) marks May Day with rallies take place in Belfast and Dublin and other events such as lectures, concerts and film screenings also take place around a wider May Day festival.[109][110] The first Monday in May has been a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland since 1994[111] and in Northern Ireland since 1978.[112] In the Republic the public holiday was demanded by the ICTU[113] and proposed by the Labour Party in negotiating its 1992–94 coalition government with Fianna Fáil, and marked the centenary of the ICTU's predecessor, the Irish Trades Union Congress.[114] The public holiday has no official designation, as "Workers' Day" or otherwise.[115] In 2005, Labour's Ruairi Quinn condemned, as a slight to workers, an alleged Fianna Fáil proposal to replace the May holiday with one on 24 April commemorating the 1916 Rising; in fact the proposal was for an extra holiday.[116]
Italy edit
The first May Day celebration in Italy took place in 1890. It started initially as an attempt to celebrate workers' achievements in their struggle for their rights and for better social and economic conditions.[citation needed] It was abolished under the Fascist regime and immediately restored after the Second World War. (During the fascist period, a "Holiday of the Italian Labour" (Festa del lavoro italiano) was celebrated on 21 April, the date of Natale di Roma, when Rome was allegedly founded.[citation needed]) May Day is now an important celebration in Italy and is a national holiday regardless of what day of the week it falls. The Concerto del Primo Maggio ("1st of May Concert"), organized by Italian labour unions in Rome in Piazza di Porta San Giovanni has become an important event in recent years. Every year the concert is attended by a large audience of mostly young people and involves the participation of many famous bands and songwriters, lasting from 15:00 until midnight. The concert is usually broadcast live on Rai 3.[117] A second big concert is organised in the city of Taranto and it is transmitted locally by TGR Apulia.
Lithuania edit
First May Day is an official public holiday celebrated as International Work Day (Lithuanian: Tarptautinė darbo diena).[118] Celebrations for workers' day were mandatory during the Soviet occupation, and carry a negative connotation as a result today. As Lithuania declared its independence in 1990, Work Day lost its public holiday status, but regained it in 2001.[119][120]
Latvia edit
First May Day is an official public holiday celebrated as Convocation of the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Latvia, Labour Day.[121]
Luxembourg edit
In Luxembourg, 1 May, called the Dag vun der Aarbecht ("Day of Labour"), is a legal holiday traditionally associated with large demonstrations by trade unions in Luxembourg City and other cities.[122]
Malta edit
In Malta, 1 May is an official public holiday celebrated as "Workers' Day",[123] together with the religious feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. (Saint Joseph's Day, 19 March, the saint's main feast, is also a public holiday in Malta.[123] A Labour mass meeting takes place on 1 May. Nationalists celebrate accession to the European Union on 1 May 2004.
Montenegro edit
1 May is an official public holiday and a day off work and a day out of school. It is the only official holiday from socialist times that is still officially celebrated.[124]
Netherlands edit
In the Netherlands, 1 May or Labour Day (Dutch: Dag van de Arbeid) is not an official holiday. This is due in part to its proximity to the national holiday, Koningsdag, which was celebrated on the day before until 2013. Labour movements also didn't see the need to agitate for an extra day off during the Post–World War II recovery efforts. Liberals who joined the Labour Party in this same period also wanted to distance themselves from the Soviet Union because of Cold War sentiments.[125]
North Macedonia edit
In North Macedonia, 1 May (Macedonian: Ден на Трудот, Den na Trudot) is an official public holiday. Before 2007, 2 may was also a public holiday. People celebrate with friends and family at traditional picnics across the country, accompanied by the usual outdoor games, various grilled meats and beverages. Left organizations and some trade unions organize protests on 1 May.[126]
Norway edit
In Norway, Labour Day (Norwegian: Arbeidernes Dag) is celebrated 1 May and is an official public holiday. It was introduced in 1942 by Vidkun Quisling of the Nasjonal Samling party modelled after the German Nationaler Feiertag des deutschen Volkes.[127]
Poland edit
In Poland, since the fall of communism, 1 May is officially celebrated as May Day, but is commonly called Labour Day.[128][129] it is currently celebrated without a specific connotation, and as such it is May Day. However, due to historical connotations, most of the large organized celebrations are focused around Labour Day festivities. It is customary for labour activists to organize parades in cities and towns across Poland. The holiday is also commonly referred to as "Labour Day" (Polish: Święto Pracy).[citation needed]
In Poland, May Day is closely followed by May 3rd Constitution Day. These two dates combined often result in a long weekend called Majówka, which may last for up to 9 days from 28 April to 6 May, at the cost of taking only 3 days off. People often travel, and Majówka is unofficially considered the start of barbecuing season in Poland.[citation needed]
Between these two, on 2 May, there is a patriotic holiday, the Day of the Polish Flag (Dzień Flagi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), introduced by a Parliamentary Act of 20 February 2004. The day, however, does not force paid time off.[citation needed]
In Soviet times, streets, places, squares, parks and also factories were frequently named in honor of International Workers' Day, such as 1 Maja Coal Mine in Wodzisław Śląski.[citation needed]
Portugal edit
In Portugal, the 1 May celebration (Portuguese: Primeiro de Maio) was suppressed during the Estado Novo dictatorship. The first workers' day demonstration was held a week after the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974. It is still the largest demonstration in the history of Portugal. It is used as an opportunity for workers and workers' groups to voice their discontent over working conditions in demonstrations across Portugal, the largest being held in Lisbon. It is an official public holiday.[130]
Romania edit
In Romania, 1 May, known as the "International Labour Day" (Romanian: Ziua internațională a muncii), the "International Workers' Day" (Ziua internațională a oamenilor muncii), or simply "1/First of May" (1/Întâi Mai), is an official public holiday. During the communist regime, like in all former Eastern Bloc countries, the day was marked by large state-organized parades in most towns and cities. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, 1 May continues to be an official public holiday, but without any state organized events or parades. Most people celebrate together with friends and family, organising picnics and barbecues. It is also the first day of the year when people, especially those from the southeastern part of the country including the capital Bucharest, go to spend the day in one of the Romanian Black Sea resorts.[citation needed]
Russia edit
May Day, also known in Russia as the "Day of International Workers Solidarity, the 1st of May" (Russian: День международной солидарности трудящихся Первое ма́я) was celebrated illegally in the country until the February Revolution enabled the first legal celebration in 1917. The following year, after the Bolshevik seizure of power, the May Day celebrations were boycotted by Mensheviks, Left Socialist Revolutionaries and anarchists. It became an important official holiday of the Soviet Union, celebrated with elaborate popular parade in the centre of the major cities. The biggest celebration was traditionally organized in Red Square, where the General Secretary of the CPSU and other party and government leaders stood atop Lenin's Mausoleum and waved to the crowds. Until 1969, the holiday was marked by military parades throughout the Russian SFSR and the union republics.[citation needed] The following was the order of the march past:
- Parade commander holding the appointment of commanding officer of the Moscow Military District
- Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music College
- Frunze Military Academy
- V.I. Lenin Military Political Academy
- Felix Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy
- Military Armored Forces Academy Marshal Rodion Malinovsky
- Military Engineering Academy
- Military Academy of Chemical Defense and Control
- Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy
- Prof. Nikolai Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy
- Delegation of naval officer cadets from the Soviet Navy[131]
- 98th Guards Airborne Division
- Moscow Border Guards Institute of the Border Defence Forces of the KGB "Moscow City Council"
- Separate Operational Purpose Division
- 336th Marine Brigade of the Baltic Fleet
- Suvorov Military School and Nakhimov Naval Schools
- Moscow Military Combined Arms Command Training School "Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR"
- Mobile Column
- 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division
- 4th Guards Tank Division
- Missile Troops and Artillery of the Moscow Military District
- 1st Aerospace Defense Army
- Northern Fleet and Baltic Fleet Coastal Defense, Surface and Submarine Forces (until 1974)
- Massed Bands of the Moscow Military District (parade finale)
The first of these parades were held 1918, when Vladimir Lenin presided over a ceremony at Khodynka Field.[132] Notable parades included the parade of 1941 (which saw the presence of a Wehrmacht delegation led by Ernst August Köstring[133]) and 1963 (where Cuban leader Fidel Castro was a guest). The only parades on 1 May to be cancelled were the parades scheduled during the years of the Second World War and the 1965 parade (this was cancelled to make way for the 1965 Moscow Victory Day Parade nine days later). In 1979, ten years after the last annual parade, a brief exhibition drill and military tattoo of the forces of the Moscow Garrison took place.[134]
In 1991, which preceded the last year that demonstrations were held in Red Square, May Day grew into high-spirited political action. Around 50,000 people participated in a rally in Red Square in 1991 after which the tradition was interrupted for 13 years. In the early post-Soviet period the holiday turned into massive political gatherings of supporters of radically minded politicians. For instance, an action dubbed as "a rally of communist-oriented organisations" was held in Red Square in 1992. The rally began with performance of the Soviet Union anthem and raising the Red Flag and ended with appeals from the leader of opposition movement Working Moscow, Viktor Anpilov, "for early dismissal of President Boris Yeltsin, ousting Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov from power and putting the latter on trial". Since 1992, May Day is officially called "Spring and Labor Day", and remains a major holiday in present-day Russia.
In 1993, a Moscow May Day rally followed by a procession organized by the National Salvation Front, Labor Moscow, and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation turned into clashes between demonstrators and riot police near houses 30 and 37 along Leninsky Avenue.[135][note 1]
After the demonstrators broke through the cordon, OMON went on a counterattack near house 37 along Leninsky Avenue. "The demonstrators fought fiercely using banner poles." To overcome the barriers, the demonstrators used trucks as rams. One of the rams resulted in severe injuries to OMON Sergeant Vladimir Tolokneyev, who died four days later. Media reports on the number of victims varied: the initial figure of 150 people soon quadrupled.[135]
1 May is celebrated annually by communists, anarchists, and other organizations as the Day of International Solidarity of Workers. These events are accompanied by the promotion of sharp social and political slogans ("Government of bankrupts - resign!", "WE do not want to pay for YOUR crisis!", "Self-organization! Self-government! Self-defense!" etc.).[136][137]
The Spring and Labor Day, celebrated as a state holiday, is usually used for political actions under independent slogans by trade unions, parties, and movements of various orientations, from the left to the far right: United Russia (together with the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia and the Young Guard of United Russia), A Just Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Yabloko, Solidarnost, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, and Autonomous Action.[138][139]
The slogans of official events organized by the authorities are far from the historical roots of the May Day demonstrations: "Putin's plan is a plan for Victory!", "Bonuses for pensioners", "Three kids in a family is the norm!".[140]
A more radical attitude to the holiday in 2009 was expressed by the head of the metropolitan branch of the Right Cause party, Igor Trunov: "To be honest, I didn't really want to celebrate 1 May, because I don't stand in solidarity with the workers of Chicago, where this holiday came from".[141]
On 1 May 2013, several hundred thousand workers took to the streets of Russian cities. More than 100,000 people took part in the May Day demonstration in Moscow.[142]
Since 2014 a national civil parade has been held on 1 May on Red Square, with similar events held in major cities and regional capitals.
In 2016, the celebration of Easter and May Day overlapped,[143] which led to the abandonment of May Day events in some regions.[144]
Serbia edit
In Serbia, 1 May (and also 2 May) is a day off work and a day out of school. It is one of the major popular holidays, and the only official holiday from socialist times that is still officially celebrated. People celebrate it all over the country. By tradition 1 May is celebrated by countryside picnics and outdoor barbecues. May is marked by warm weather in Serbia. In Belgrade, the capital, most people go to Avala or Košutnjak, which are parks located in Rakovica and Čukarica. People go around the country to enjoy nature. A major religious holiday of Djurdjevdan is on 6 May so quite often days off work are given to connect these two holidays and weekend, creating a small spring break. 1 May is celebrated by most of the population regardless of political views.
Slovakia edit
In Slovakia, 1 May is an official holiday. Celebrations are held surrounding workers' day but are also connected with the commemoration of the entry of the Slovak Republic into the European Union (1 May 2004).[145]
Slovenia edit
In Slovenia, 1 May and 2 May are public holidays. There are many official events all over the country to celebrate workers' day. In Ljubljana, the capital, the main celebration is held on Rožnik Hill in the city. On the night of 30 April, bonfires are traditionally burned.[146]
Spain edit
The first Día del Trabajador was celebrated in 1889 but only became a public holiday with the beginning of the Spanish Second Republic in 1931. It was banned afterwards by the Franco regime in 1937.[147] The year after it was decreed that the "Fiesta de la Exaltación del Trabajo," or Labor Festival, be held on 18 July, the anniversary of the Francoist military coup, instead.[148] After the death of Francisco Franco in 1975 and the move towards democracy, the first large rallies on 1 May began again in 1977. It was re-introduced as a public holiday in 1978.[149] Commonly, peaceful demonstrations and parades occur in major and minor cities.[150][151]
Sweden edit
1 May has been an important part of Swedish history since the late 19th century. The day was made a public holiday in 1938 but had been celebrated by the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the left since 1890. The first May Day celebration gathered more than 50,000 people in central Stockholm. The crowd went to hear speeches by the leading figures in the Swedish labour movement such as Hjalmar Branting (later prime minister), August Palm and Hinke Bergegren. During World War I the demonstrations mainly had a peace message and the Liberal Party also joined the demonstrations. The eight-hour working day and women's suffrage were the principal themes during the troubled times after World War I.
Recognizing the central contributions of workers and international worker solidarity in Swedish social, economic, political and cultural development, May Day demonstrations are an important part of Swedish politics and culture for social democrats, left parties, and unions. In Stockholm the Social Democratic Party always marches towards Norra Bantorget, the historical, physical centre of the Swedish labour movement, where they hold speeches in front of the headquarters of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, while the smaller Left Party marches in larger numbers[152] towards Kungsträdgården.
Since 1967, the Communist Party and its youth wing, Revolutionary Communist Youth, have held their own May Day march, known as Röd Front ('Red Front').[153] In 2016, Röd Front marches were held at 33 locations across the country.[154] The largest Röd Front marches are usually held in the industrial and financial port town of Gothenburg, Sweden's second-largest city and one of the party's strongholds.[155][156]
Switzerland edit
In Switzerland, the status of 1 May differs depending on the canton and sometimes on the municipality. Labour Day is known as Tag der Arbeit in German-speaking cantons, as Fête du travail in the French-speaking cantons, and as Festa del lavoro in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.
- In the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Jura, Neuchâtel, and Zürich, Labour Day is an official public holiday equal to Sundays, based on federal law (Bundesgesetz über die Arbeit in Industrie, Gewerbe und Handel, article 20a).
- In the cantons of Schaffhausen, Thurgau, and Ticino, Labour Day is an official "day off" (Ruhetag). This is equal in practice to an official public holiday, but is not based on federal law and cantonal regulations may differ in details.
- In the canton of Solothurn it is an official half-day holiday (starting at 12 noon).
- In the canton of Fribourg, public servants get the afternoon off, many companies follow this practice.
- In the canton of Aargau it is not an official holiday, but most employees get the afternoon off.
- In the municipalities of Hildisrieden and Schüpfheim (both in the canton of Lucerne) as well as in Muotathal (canton of Schwyz), 1 May is an official public holiday, but as commemoration day of the local patron saint, not as Labour Day. In the other parts of the cantons of Lucerne and Schwyz, 1 May is a regular work day.
- In all other cantons, 1 May is a regular work day.[157]
The largest Labour Day celebrations in Switzerland are held in the city of Zürich. Each year, Zürich's 1 May committee, together with the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions, organizes a festival and 1 May rally. It is the largest rally held on a regular basis in Switzerland.[158]
Turkey edit
1 May is an official holiday celebrated in Turkey. It was a holiday until 1981 when it was canceled after the 1980 coup d'état. In 2010, the Turkish government restored the holiday after some casualties and demonstrations. Taksim Square is the centre of the celebrations due to the Taksim Square massacre.[citation needed]
Workers' Day was first celebrated in 1912 in Istanbul and in 1899 in İzmir. After the establishment of the Turkish Republic, it became an official holiday. In 1924, it was forbidden by a decree and in both 1924 and 1925, demonstrations were intervened by arm floats. In 1935, The National Assembly declared Workers' Day to be a holiday again.[159]
During the events leading to the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, a massacre occurred on 1 May 1977 (Taksim Square massacre), in which unknown people (agents provocateurs) opened fire on the crowd. The crowd was the biggest in Turkish workers' history with the number of people approximating 500,000. In the next two years, provocations and confusion continued and peaked before the 1980 coup d'état. The Workers' Day holiday was cancelled once again. Still, demonstrations continued with small crowds, and in 1996, three people were killed by police bullets, and a plain-clothes man who spied in the crowd was revealed and lynched by workers. On the same evening, a video broadcast on TV showed that two participants in the demonstration were lynched by far right-wing nationalist groups and this lynching occurred in front of police forces who were watching the scene with happy faces. Thus, 1 May 1996 has been remembered by workers' movements.[159]
In 2007, the 30th anniversary of the Taksim Square Massacre, leftist workers' unions wanted to commemorate the massacre in Taksim Square. Since the government would not let them into the square, 580–700 people were stopped and 1 person died under police control. After these events, the government declared 1 May as "Work and Solidarity Day" but not as a holiday. In the next year, the day was declared as a holiday, but people were still not allowed to gather in Taksim Square.[160] The year 2008 was remembered with police violence in Istanbul. Police fired tear gas grenades among the crowds, and into hospitals and a primary school. Workers pushed forward so that in 2010, 140,000 people gathered in Taksim, and in 2011 there were more than half a million demonstrators.[citation needed]
After three years of peaceful meetings in 2013, meetings in Taksim Square were forbidden by the government. Clashes occurred between police and workers; water cannon and tear gas have been widely used.[161]
Ukraine edit
It is a public holiday in Ukraine, inherited from the Soviet era. May Day as a day of workers' solidarity in Kyiv began as early as 1894.[162] Until 2018, 2 May was also a public holiday (as in the Soviet era), instead in 2017 Western Christianity's Christmas celebrated 25 December became a new Ukrainian public holiday.[163][164] The 1 May International Workers' Day remained a Ukrainian public holiday, although it was renamed (also in 2017) from "Day of International Solidarity of Workers" to "Labour Day".[164]
In 2015, May Day rallies were banned in Kyiv and Kharkiv.[165]
Late May 2015 laws that ban communist symbols came into effect in Ukraine, thus banning communist symbols, singing the Soviet national hymn or the Internationale.[166]
According to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov during the 2016 May Day rallies in some major cities the number of police officers far outnumbered the number of rally participants.[167] With in Dnipro 193 policemen protecting 25 rally participants.[167]
United Kingdom edit
A public bank holiday in the United Kingdom known as May Day was created in 1978 and is held on the first Monday in May each year.[168]
There are many traditional May Day rites and celebrations, some of which have been held for hundreds of years. However, it was not until the late 20th century that May Day in Great Britain became linked to International Workers' Day, and the holiday is not officially a "Labour Day".
Oceania edit
Australia edit
While unofficial activities and commemorations associated with International Workers' Day occur on May Day in Australia, Labour Day in the various states and territories generally falls on other days. Only in the Northern Territory (where it is called May Day) and Queensland is Labour Day celebrated on the first Monday in May, which is a public holiday under the name of "May Day". Queensland holds the biggest rallies in Australia, with the rally in Brisbane averaging 30,000 people.[citation needed] In Australia, one of the first May Day marches occurred in Queensland on 1 May 1891.[169] There are also rallies held in Cairns, Rockhampton, Townsville, Barcaldine, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Bundaberg, Maryborough, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and other regional centres.[citation needed]
New Zealand edit
New Zealand workers were among the first in the world to claim the right for an eight-hour working day when, in 1840, the carpenter Samuel Parnell[170] won an eight-hour day in Wellington. Labour Day was first celebrated in New Zealand on 28 October 1890.[171] Labour day falls every year on the fourth Monday of October.
South Asia edit
Bangladesh edit
In Bangladesh, 1 May Day is a public holiday and called May Day. A parade and other events are held on the day to commemorate the occasion.[172]
India edit
In India, Labour Day is a public holiday held on every 1 May.[173] The holiday is tied to labour movements for communist and socialist political parties. Labour Day is known as "Uzhaipalar dhinam" in Tamil and was first celebrated in Madras, "Kamgar Din" in Hindi, "Karmikara Dinacharane" in Kannada, "Karmika Dinotsavam" in Telugu, "Kamgar Divas" in Marathi, "Thozhilaali Dinam" in Malayalam and "Shromik Dibosh" in Bengali. Since Labour day is not a national holiday, Labour day is observed as public holiday at State Government's discretion. Many parts especially in North Indian States it is not a public holiday.[174]
The first celebration in India was organized in Madras (now Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on 1 May 1923.[175] This was also the first time the red flag was used in India.[176] The party leader Singaravelu Chettiar made arrangements to celebrate May Day in two places in 1923. One meeting was held at the beach opposite to the Madras High Court; the other meeting was held at the Triplicane beach. The Hindu newspaper, published from Madras reported,[177]
The Labour Kisan party has introduced May Day celebrations in Madras. Comrade Singaravelar presided over the meeting. A resolution was passed stating that the government should declare May Day as a holiday. The president of the party explained the non-violent principles of the party. There was a request for financial aid. It was emphasised that workers of the world must unite to achieve independence.
1 May is also celebrated as "Maharashtra Day"[178] and "Gujarat Day" to mark the date in 1960, when the two western states attained statehood after the erstwhile Bombay State was divided on linguistic lines. Maharashtra Day is held at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. Schools and offices in Maharashtra remain closed on 1 May. A similar parade is held to celebrate Gujarat Day in Gandhinagar.
Vaiko (Vai Gopalsamy), General Secretary of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, appealed to the then Prime Minister V. P. Singh to declare 1 May as a national holiday, to which the PM heeded and from then on it became a national holiday to celebrate International Labour Day.[179][non-primary source needed]
Maldives edit
Maldives first observed the holiday in 2011, after a declaration by President Mohamed Nasheed. He noted that this move highlighted the government's commitment as well as efforts of private parties to protect and promote workers' rights in the Maldives.[180]
Nepal edit
1 May Day has been celebrated in Nepal since 1963.[181] The day became a public holiday in 2007.[182]
Pakistan edit
International Labour Day is observed in Pakistan on 1 May to commemorate the social and economic achievements of workers. It is a public and national holiday. Many organized street demonstrations take place on Labor Day, where workers and labor unions protest against labor repression and demand for more rights, better wages and benefits.[183]
Sri Lanka edit
In Sri Lanka, May Day was declared a public, bank, and mercantile holiday in 1956.[184] The government has held official May Day celebrations in major towns and cities, with the largest being in the capital, Colombo. During celebrations, it is common to witness party leaders greeting the crowds. Workers frequently carry banners with political slogans and many parties decorate their vehicles.[citation needed]
Southeast Asia edit
Cambodia edit
In Cambodia, it is known as International Labour Day and is a public holiday.[185] No marches for labour day were permitted in Cambodia for several years after the 2013 Cambodian general election and surrounding mass protests. A tightly controlled march on a limited scale was first permitted again in 2019.[186]
Indonesia edit
May Day (often referred locally as Labour Day) in Indonesia was first observed as a public holiday from 2014. Every year on the day, labourers take over the streets in major cities across the country, voicing their demands for better income & a supportive policy by the ministries.[187]
Malaysia edit
Malaysia began observing the holiday in 1972 following an announcement by the late Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, Ismail Abdul Rahman.[188]
Myanmar edit
In Myanmar, 1 May is known as Labour Day (Burmese: အလုပ်သမားနေ့) and is a public holiday.[189]
Philippines edit
1 May is known as "Labor Day" (Filipino: Araw ng Manggagawa, also known as Araw ng Paggawa) and is a public holiday in the Philippines. On this day, labour organizations and unions hold protests in major cities. On 1 May 1903, during the American colonial period the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina (Filipino Democratic Labor Union) held a rally in front of the Malacañang Palace demanding workers' economic rights and Philippine independence. In 1908, the Philippine Assembly passed a bill officially recognizing 1 May as a national holiday. In 1913, the first official celebration was held on 1 May 1913 when 36 labour unions convened for a congress in Manila.[190]
During the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a policy was adopted called holiday economics policy that moved holidays to either a Monday or a Friday to create a long weekend of three days. In 2002, Labor Day was moved to the Monday nearest to 1 May. Labour groups protested, as they accused the Arroyo administration of belittling the holiday.[191] By 2008, Labor Day was excluded in the holiday economics policy, returning the commemorations to 1 May, no matter what day of the week it falls on.[1]
Singapore edit
In Singapore, it is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday.[192]
Thailand edit
In Thailand, the day is known in English as National Labour Day, and is one of 17 official public holidays in Thailand.[193]
Vietnam edit
In Vietnam, it is known as International Labour Day (Vietnamese: Ngày Quốc tế Lao động) and is a public holiday.[194] It was first adopted by the Nguyễn dynasty on the 11th day of the 9th month of the 16th year of the Bảo Đại Emperor (30 October 1941) by imperial decree.[194] Later on 29 April 1946 President Hồ Chí Minh issued Sắc lệnh số 56 (Decree No. 56) which adopted the holiday for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.[194]
According to the decree "workers in public offices, private offices and factories throughout the country are entitled to a day off from work. International Labour 1.5 and still receive the same salary as a working day…".[194] On 1 May 1946 the first International Labour Day of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was held.[194]
West Asia edit
Bahrain edit
In Bahrain, 1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday.[195]
Iran edit
In Iran, 1 May is known as the International Workers' Day. It is not a public holiday but according to article 63 of Iranian labour law on top of the official public holidays observed in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Labour Day shall be considered an official holiday for workers.[196]
Iraq edit
In Iraq, it is known as the International Workers' Day and is a public holiday.[197]
Israel edit
After historically varying popularity of Labour Day, 1 May is not an official holiday in the State of Israel. In the 1980s there were several large marches in Tel Aviv, numbering as much as 350,000 in 1983 and perhaps even more in 1988, but a steady decline in numbers led to only 5,000 marchers in 2010. During the 1990s businesses began to treat it like a regular working day as the number of May Day-related activities decreased.[198] 1 May is largely celebrated by the former Soviet Jews who immigrated to Israel in the 1990s.[citation needed]
Jordan edit
1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday.[199]
Lebanon edit
1 May known as the Workers' Day and is a public holiday. Left-wing parties and workers' unions organize marches on 1 May.[200]
Palestine edit
1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday.[201][202][203]
Yemen edit
1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday.[204]
Observation tables by countries and territories edit
| Country | International Workers' Day / Labour Day on 1 May |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | No (no holiday) |
| Albania | Yes |
| Algeria | Yes |
| Andorra | Yes |
| Angola | Yes |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Yes |
| Argentina | Yes |
| Armenia | Yes |
| Australia | No (date varies by state/territory) |
| Austria | Yes |
| Azerbaijan | No (no holiday) |
| Bahamas | Yes |
| Bahrain | Yes |
| Bangladesh | Yes |
| Barbados | Yes |
| Belarus | Yes |
| Belgium | Yes |
| Belize | Yes |
| Benin | Yes |
| Bhutan | Yes |
| Bolivia | Yes |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Yes |
| Botswana | Yes |
| Brazil | Yes |
| Brunei | Yes |
| Bulgaria | Yes |
| Burkina Faso | Yes |
| Burundi | Yes |
| Cambodia | Yes |
| Cameroon | Yes |
| Canada | No (first Monday in September) |
| Cape Verde | Yes |
| Central African Republic | Yes |
| Chad | Yes |
| Chile | Yes |
| China | Yes |
| Colombia | Yes |
| Comoros | Yes |
| Republic of the Congo | Yes |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Yes |
| Costa Rica | Yes |
| Croatia | Yes |
| Cuba | Yes |
| Cyprus | Yes |
| Czech Republic | Yes |
| Denmark | No (no holiday) |
| Djibouti | Yes |
| Dominica | Yes |
| Dominican Republic | Yes |
| East Timor | Yes |
| Ecuador | Yes |
| Egypt | Yes |
| El Salvador | Yes |
| Equatorial Guinea | Yes |
| Eritrea | No (May Day celebrated instead) |
| Estonia | No (May Day celebrated instead) |
| Eswatini | Yes |
| Ethiopia | Yes |
| Fiji | No (no holiday) |
| Finland | No (May Day celebrated instead) |
| France | Yes |
| Gabon | Yes |
| Gambia | Yes |
| Georgia | Yes |
| Germany | Yes |
| Ghana | Yes |
| Greece | Yes |
| Grenada | Yes |
| Guatemala | Yes |
| Guinea | Yes |
| Guinea-Bissau | Yes |
| Guyana | Yes |
| Haiti | Yes |
| Honduras | Yes |
| Hungary | Yes |
| Iceland | Yes |
| India | Yes |
| Indonesia | Yes |
| Iran | Yes |
| Iraq | Yes |
| Ireland | Yes |
| Israel | No (no holiday) |
| Italy | Yes |
| Ivory Coast | Yes |
| Jamaica | No |
| Japan | No |
| Jordan | Yes |
| Kazakhstan | No (Kazakhstan People's Unity Day celebrated instead; Labour Day falls on last Sunday in September) |
| Kenya | Yes |
| Kiribati | Yes |
| Kuwait | Yes |
| Kyrgyzstan | Yes |
| Laos | Yes |
| Latvia | Yes |
| Lebanon | Yes |
| Lesotho | Yes |
| Liberia | No (no holiday) |
| Libya | Yes |
| Liechtenstein | Yes |
| Lithuania | Yes |
| Luxembourg | Yes |
| Madagascar | Yes |
| Malawi | Yes |
| Malaysia | Yes |
| Maldives | Yes |
| Mali | Yes |
| Malta | Yes |
| Marshall Islands | Yes |
| Mauritania | Yes |
| Mauritius | Yes |
| Mexico | Yes |
| Micronesia | Yes |
| Moldova | Yes |
| Monaco | Yes |
| Mongolia | No (no holiday) |
| Montenegro | Yes |
| Morocco | Yes |
| Mozambique | Yes |
| Myanmar | Yes |
| Namibia | Yes |
| Nauru | Yes |
| Nepal | Yes |
| Netherlands | No (no holiday) |
| New Zealand | No (fourth Monday in October) |
| Nicaragua | Yes |
| Niger | Yes |
| Nigeria | Yes |
| North Korea | Yes |
| North Macedonia | Yes |
| Norway | Yes |
| Oman | No (no holiday) |
| Pakistan | Yes |
| Palau | Yes |
| Panama | Yes |
| Papua New Guinea | No (no holiday) |
| Paraguay | Yes |
| Peru | Yes |
| Philippines | Yes |
| Poland | Yes |
| Portugal | Yes |
| Qatar | Yes |
| Romania | Yes |
| Russia | Yes |
| Rwanda | Yes |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Yes |
| Saint Lucia | Yes |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Yes |
| Samoa | No (no holiday) |
| San Marino | Yes |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia | No (no holiday) |
| Senegal | Yes |
| Serbia | Yes |
| Seychelles | Yes |
| Sierra Leone | No (no holiday) |
| Singapore | Yes |
| Slovakia | Yes |
| Slovenia | Yes |
| Solomon Islands | No (no holiday) |
| Somalia | Yes |
| South Africa | Yes |
| South Korea | No (no holiday; per Labor Day Act, employers can stipulate that 1 May be made an official holiday within the company’s rules of employment) |
| South Sudan | Yes |
| Spain | Yes |
| Sri Lanka | Yes |
| Sudan | No (no holiday) |
| Suriname | Yes |
| Sweden | Yes |
| Switzerland | Yes |
| Syria | Yes |
| Taiwan | Yes |
| Tajikistan | Yes |
| Tanzania | Yes |
| Thailand | Yes |
| Togo | Yes |
| Tonga | international, workers, this, article, about, holiday, sometimes, called, traditional, spring, holiday, other, labour, related, holidays, labour, disambiguation, also, known, labour, some, countries, often, referred, celebration, labourers, working, classes, t. This article is about a holiday sometimes called May Day For the traditional spring holiday see May Day For other labour related holidays see Labour Day disambiguation International Workers Day also known as Labour Day in some countries 1 and often referred to as May Day 2 3 is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on 1 May 4 5 or the first Monday in May International Workers Day2013 International Workers Day demonstration in AustriaOfficial nameInternational Workers DayAlso calledMay DayCelebrationsVarious depending on the country mostly parades marches barbecuesDate1 MayNext time1 May 2024 2024 05 01 FrequencyAnnualRelated toMay DayLabour DayTraditionally 1 May is the date of the European spring festival of May Day In 1889 the Marxist International Socialist Congress met in Paris and established the Second International as a successor to the earlier International Workingmen s Association They adopted a resolution for a great international demonstration in support of working class demands for the eight hour day The 1 May date was chosen by the American Federation of Labor to commemorate a general strike in the United States which had begun on 1 May 1886 and culminated in the Haymarket affair four days later The demonstration subsequently became a yearly event 5 The 1904 Sixth Conference of the Second International called on all Social Democratic Party organisations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on the First of May for the legal establishment of the eight hour day for the class demands of the proletariat and for universal peace 6 The 1st of May or first Monday in May is a national public holiday in many countries in most cases as International Workers Day or a similar name Some countries celebrate a Labour Day on other dates significant to them such as the United States and Canada which celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September 7 In 1955 the Catholic Church dedicated 1 May to Saint Joseph the Worker Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers and craftsmen among others 8 9 Contents 1 Origin 1 1 Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc under socialist governments 2 By country 2 1 Africa 2 1 1 Algeria 2 1 2 Angola 2 1 3 Egypt 2 1 4 Ethiopia 2 1 5 Ghana 2 1 6 Kenya 2 1 7 Libya 2 1 8 Mauritius 2 1 9 Morocco 2 1 10 Mozambique 2 1 11 Namibia 2 1 12 Nigeria 2 1 13 Somalia 2 1 14 South Africa 2 1 15 Tanzania 2 1 16 Tunisia 2 1 17 Uganda 2 1 18 Zimbabwe 2 2 Americas 2 2 1 Argentina 2 2 2 Bolivia 2 2 3 Brazil 2 2 4 Canada 2 2 5 Chile 2 2 6 Colombia 2 2 7 Costa Rica 2 2 8 Cuba 2 2 9 Dominican Republic 2 2 10 Ecuador 2 2 11 El Salvador 2 2 12 Guatemala 2 2 13 Haiti 2 2 14 Honduras 2 2 15 Mexico 2 2 16 Panama 2 2 17 Paraguay 2 2 18 Peru 2 2 19 United States 2 2 20 Uruguay 2 2 21 Venezuela 2 3 East Asia 2 3 1 Mainland China 2 3 2 Hong Kong 2 3 3 Macau 2 3 4 Taiwan 2 3 5 Japan 2 3 6 North Korea 2 3 7 South Korea 2 4 Europe 2 4 1 Albania 2 4 2 Armenia 2 4 3 Austria 2 4 4 Belgium 2 4 5 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 4 6 Bulgaria 2 4 7 Croatia 2 4 8 Cyprus 2 4 9 Czech Republic 2 4 10 Denmark 2 4 11 Estonia 2 4 12 Finland 2 4 13 France 2 4 14 Germany 2 4 15 Greece 2 4 16 Hungary 2 4 17 Iceland 2 4 18 Ireland 2 4 19 Italy 2 4 20 Lithuania 2 4 21 Latvia 2 4 22 Luxembourg 2 4 23 Malta 2 4 24 Montenegro 2 4 25 Netherlands 2 4 26 North Macedonia 2 4 27 Norway 2 4 28 Poland 2 4 29 Portugal 2 4 30 Romania 2 4 31 Russia 2 4 32 Serbia 2 4 33 Slovakia 2 4 34 Slovenia 2 4 35 Spain 2 4 36 Sweden 2 4 37 Switzerland 2 4 38 Turkey 2 4 39 Ukraine 2 4 40 United Kingdom 2 5 Oceania 2 5 1 Australia 2 5 2 New Zealand 2 6 South Asia 2 6 1 Bangladesh 2 6 2 India 2 6 3 Maldives 2 6 4 Nepal 2 6 5 Pakistan 2 6 6 Sri Lanka 2 7 Southeast Asia 2 7 1 Cambodia 2 7 2 Indonesia 2 7 3 Malaysia 2 7 4 Myanmar 2 7 5 Philippines 2 7 6 Singapore 2 7 7 Thailand 2 7 8 Vietnam 2 8 West Asia 2 8 1 Bahrain 2 8 2 Iran 2 8 3 Iraq 2 8 4 Israel 2 8 5 Jordan 2 8 6 Lebanon 2 8 7 Palestine 2 8 8 Yemen 3 Observation tables by countries and territories 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksOrigin editOn 21 April 1856 Australian stonemasons in Victoria undertook a mass stoppage as part of the eight hour workday movement 10 It became a yearly commemoration inspiring American workers to have their first stoppage 11 1 May was chosen to be International Workers Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago 12 In that year beginning on 1 May there was a general strike for the eight hour workday On 4 May the police acted to disperse a public assembly in support of the strike when an unidentified person threw a bomb The police responded by firing on the workers The event led to the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians sixty police officers were injured as were one hundred and fifteen civilians 13 14 Hundreds of labour leaders and sympathizers were later rounded up and four were executed by hanging after a trial that was seen as a miscarriage of justice 15 nb 1 The following day on 5 May in Milwaukee Wisconsin the state militia fired on a crowd of strikers killing seven including a schoolboy and a man feeding chickens in his yard 17 In 1889 the first meeting of the Second International was held in Paris following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne fr that called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests 5 On 1 May 1890 the call encouraged May Day demonstrations took place in the United States and most countries in Europe 18 Demonstrations were also held in Chile and Peru 18 May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International s second congress in 1891 19 20 Subsequently the May Day riots of 1894 occurred The International Socialist Congress Amsterdam 1904 called on all Social Democratic Party organisations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on the First of May for the legal establishment of the 8 hour day for the class demands of the proletariat and for universal peace 6 The congress made it mandatory upon the proletarian organisations of all countries to stop work on 1 May wherever it is possible without injury to the workers 6 In the United States and Canada a September holiday called Labor or Labour Day was first proposed in the 1880s In 1882 Matthew Maguire a machinist first proposed a Labor Day holiday on the first Monday of September nb 2 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union CLU of New York 21 Others argue that it was first proposed by Peter J McGuire of the American Federation of Labor in May 1882 22 after witnessing the annual labour festival held in Toronto Canada 23 In 1887 Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894 thirty US states officially celebrated Labor Day 22 Thus by 1887 in North America Labour Day was an established official holiday but in September 24 not on 1 May nbsp A 1 May rally in Bucharest in 1967May Day has been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist communist and anarchist groups since the Second International May Day is one of the most important holidays in communist countries such as China Vietnam Cuba Laos North Korea and the former Soviet Union countries May Day celebrations in these countries typically feature elaborate workforce parades including displays of military hardware and soldiers In 1955 the Catholic Church dedicated 1 May to Saint Joseph the Worker Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers and craftsmen among others 8 9 Today the majority of countries around the world celebrate a workers day on 1 May Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc under socialist governments edit nbsp May Day rally in Moscow 1 May 1960Eastern Bloc countries such as the Soviet Union and most countries of central and eastern Europe that were under the rule of Marxist Leninist governments held official May Day celebrations in every town and city during which party leaders greeted the crowds Workers carried banners with political slogans and many companies decorated their company cars The biggest celebration of 1 May usually occurred in the capital of a particular socialist country and usually included a military display and the presence of the president and the secretary general of the party During the Cold War May Day became the occasion for large military parades in Red Square by the Soviet Union and attended by the top leaders of the Kremlin especially the Politburo atop Lenin s Mausoleum It became an enduring symbol of that period In Poland since 1982 party leaders led the official parades In Hungary May Day was officially celebrated under the communist rule and remains a public holiday Traditionally the day was marked by dancing around designated May trees 25 Some factories in socialist countries were named in honour of International Workers Day such as 1 Maja Coal Mine in Wodzislaw Slaski Poland In East Germany the holiday was officially known as Internationaler Kampf und Feiertag der Werktatigen fur Frieden und Sozialismus International Day of the Struggle and Celebration of the Workers for Peace and Socialism similar names were used in other Eastern Bloc countries By country edit nbsp Countries and dependencies coloured by observance of International Workers Day or a different variant of May Day or Labour Day Labour Day falls or may fall on 1 May Another public holiday on 1 May No public holiday on 1 May but Labour Day on a different date No public holiday on 1 May and no Labour DayAfrica edit Algeria edit In Algeria 1 May is a public holiday celebrated as Labour Day 26 Angola edit 1 May is recognized as public holiday in Angola and called Workers Day 27 Egypt edit nbsp Egyptian Communist Party flags in Tahrir SquareIn Egypt 1 May is known as Labour Day and is considered a paid holiday The President of Egypt traditionally presides over the official May Day celebrations 28 Ethiopia edit In Ethiopia 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as Worker s Day 29 Ghana edit 1 May is a holiday in Ghana It is a day to celebrate all workers across the country It is celebrated with a parade by trade unions and labour associations 30 The parades are normally addressed by the Secretary General of the trade union congress and by regional secretaries in the regions 30 Workers from different workplaces through banners and T shirts identify their companies 30 Kenya edit In Kenya 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as Labour Day It is a big day addressed by the leaders of the workers umbrella union body the Central Organisation of Trade Unions COTU The Cabinet Secretary in charge of Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and occasionally the President address the workers Each year the government approves and increases the minimum wage on Labour Day 31 Libya edit In Libya International Workers Day was declared a national public holiday by the National Transitional Council in 2012 the first year of the post Qaddafi era 32 On 1 May 1978 then Libyan leader Colonel Mu ammar Al Qaddafi addressed the nation in the capital city of Tripoli calling for administrative and also economic reforms across Libya 33 Mauritius edit In Mauritius 1 May is a public holiday celebrated as Labour Day It was celebrated for the first time in Mauritius on 1 May 1938 and for the first time as an official public holiday on 1 May 1950 This was thanks largely to the efforts of Guy Rozemont Dr Maurice Cure Pandit Sahadeo and Emmanuel Anquetil as a day of special significance for Mauritian workers who for many years had struggled for their social political and economic rights And as we all can see for ourselves that struggle is a never ending one 34 Morocco edit In Morocco 1 May is recognized as a public holiday 35 Mozambique edit Celebrates workers day on 1 May in Mozambique 36 Namibia edit 1 May is recognized as public holiday in Namibia and celebrated as Workers Day 37 Nigeria edit Since 1981 1 May is a public holiday in Nigeria On the day people gather while traditionally the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress and other politicians address workers 38 Somalia edit In Somalia 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as the Labour Day 39 South Africa edit In South Africa Workers Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on 1 May each year since 1995 40 May Day started to get more attention by African workers in 1928 which saw thousands of workers in a mass march In 1950 the South African Communist Party called for a strike on 1 May in response to the Suppression of Communism Act declaring it illegal Police violence caused the death of 18 people across Soweto It has its origins within the historical struggles of workers and their trade unions internationally for solidarity between working people in their struggles to win fair employment standards and more importantly to establish a culture of human and worker rights and to ensure that these are enshrined in international law and the national law 41 In 1986 the hundredth anniversary of the Haymarket affair the Congress of South African Trade Unions COSATU called for the government to establish an official holiday on 1 May It also called for workers to stay home from work that day 42 COSATU was joined by a number of prominent anti apartheid organizations including the National Education Crisis Committee and the United Democratic Front South Africa 43 The call was also supported by a number of organizations regarded as conservative such as the African Teachers Association of South Africa the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa an organization that represented employers in the metal industries 43 More than 1 500 000 workers observed the call and stayed home as did thousands of students taxi drivers vendors shopkeepers domestic workers and self employed people 43 In the following years 1 May became a popular if not official holiday 42 As a result of the killings on May Day 1950 and the success of COSATU s call in 1986 1 May became associated with resistance to the apartheid government After its first universal election in 1994 1 May was adopted as a public holiday celebrated for the first time in 1995 42 On its website the city of Durban states that the holiday celebrate s the role played by trade unions and other labour movements in the fight against South Africa s apartheid regime 44 Tanzania edit In Tanzania it is a public holiday on 1 May and celebrated as the Worker s Day 45 Tunisia edit nbsp May Day rally in Tunis Tunisia1 May is recognized as Labour Day within Tunisia and is a paid public holiday 46 Uganda edit In Uganda Labour Day is a public holiday on 1 May 47 Zimbabwe edit 1 May is recognized as a public holiday in Zimbabwe and called Workers Day 48 Americas edit Argentina edit In Argentina Workers Day is an official holiday on 1 May and is frequently associated with labour unions Celebrations related to labour are held including demonstrations in major cities The first Workers Day celebration was in 1890 when Argentinian unions organized several celebrations in Buenos Aires and other cities at the same time that the international labour movement celebrated it for the first time 49 In 1930 it was established as an official holiday by the Radical Civic Union president Hipolito Yrigoyen The day became particularly significant during the worker oriented government of Juan Domingo Peron 1946 55 50 He permitted and endorsed national recognition of the holiday during his tenure in office Bolivia edit 1 May is known as Labour Day and is a holiday 51 By custom it is usually the day on which wage increases e g the national minimum wage and other labor improvements are announced by the Government In recent years it was also the day chosen by the Bolivian government to announce the re nationalization of strategic sectors of the economy e g hydrocarbons in 2006 telecommunications in 2008 electricity in 2010 etc Brazil edit In Brazil Workers Day is an official holiday celebrated on 1 May and unions commemorate it with day long public events 52 Canada edit In Canada Labour Day is celebrated in September In 1894 the government of Prime Minister John Sparrow David Thompson declared the first Monday in September as Canada s official Labour Day Labor Day in the United States is on the same day May Day is however marked by unions and leftists It is celebrated on 1 May May Day is an important day of trade union and community group protest in the province of Quebec though not a provincial statutory holiday Celebration of the International Labour Day or International Workers Day French Journee internationale des travailleurs in Montreal goes back to 1906 organized by the Mutual Aid circle The tradition had a renaissance at the time of a mass strike in 1972 On the 1973 May Day the first contemporary demonstration was organized by the major trade union confederations over 30 000 trade unionists took part in this demonstration Further it is the customary date on which the minimum wage rises 53 Chile edit nbsp Protest against the Pinochet dictatorship in O Higgins Park Santiago on 1 May 1984 President Carlos Ibanez del Campo decreed 1 May a national holiday in 1931 in honour of the dignity of workers 54 All stores and public services must close for the entire day and the major trade unions of Chile represented in the national organization Workers United Center of Chile Central Unitaria de Trabajadores organize rallies during the morning hours with festivities and cookouts in the later part of the day in all the major cities of Chile During these rallies representatives of the major left wing political parties speak to the assemblies on the issues of the day concerning workers rights Colombia edit 1 May has long been recognized as Labour Day and almost all workers respect it as a national holiday 55 As in many other countries it is common to see rallies by the trade unions in all over the main regional capitals of the country 56 Costa Rica edit First celebrated in 1913 57 labor day is a public holiday and at the same time an important day for government activities On this day the President of Costa Rica gives a speech to the citizens and the legislature of Costa Rica about the duties that were undertaken through the previous year The president of the legislature is also chosen by its members 58 Cuba edit This day is known as Labour Day in Cuba People march in the streets showing their support to the Cuban Communist government and the Cuban Revolution during the whole morning 59 Dominican Republic edit 1 May is a national holiday known as Labour Day and celebrated by workers parades and demonstration Ecuador edit In Ecuador 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day People do not go to work and spend time with their relatives or gather for demonstrations 60 El Salvador edit 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day 61 Guatemala edit 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day 62 Haiti edit 1 May is an official public holiday known as Agriculture and Labour Day 63 Honduras edit 1 May is an official holiday known as Labour Day within Honduras 64 Mexico edit 1 May is a federal holiday It also commemorates the Cananea Strike of 1906 in the Mexican state of Sonora Panama edit 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day within Panama 65 Paraguay edit 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day within Paraguay 66 Peru edit 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day within Peru 67 United States edit Main article Labor Day nbsp Socialists in Union Square New York City on 1 May 1912In the United States a Labor Day celebrated on the first Monday of each September was given increasing state recognition from 1887 and became an official federal holiday in 1894 24 Efforts to switch Labor Day from September to 1 May have not been successful In 1947 1 May was established as Loyalty Day by the U S Veterans of Foreign Wars as a way to counter communist influence and recruitment at May Day rallies 68 Loyalty Day was celebrated across the country with patriotic parades and ceremonies however the growing conflict over U S involvement in Vietnam detracted from the popularity of these celebrations 68 In 1958 the American Bar Association campaigned to have 1 May designated as Law Day which was acknowledged in 1961 by a joint resolution of Congress 69 Law Day exercises such as mock trials and courthouse tours are often sponsored by the American Bar Association Unions and Political organizations including anarchist groups and socialist and communist parties have kept the international May Day tradition alive with rallies and demonstrations In 1919 especially large demonstrations took place and violence greeted the normally peaceful parades in Boston New York and Cleveland and a number of people were killed 70 71 In Milwaukee an annual commemoration takes place at the site of the killing of seven workers during an 8 hour march 17 Some of the largest examples of this occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s when hundreds of thousands of workers marched in May Day parades in New York s Union Square while cities like Chicago and Duluth saw large demonstrations organized by the Communist Party nbsp San Jose California May Day March 1 May 2006In 2006 1 May was chosen by mostly Latino immigrant groups in the United States as the day for the Great American Boycott a general strike of undocumented immigrant workers and supporters to protest H R 4437 immigration reform legislation that they felt was draconian From 10 April to 1 May of that year immigrant families in the U S called for immigrant rights workers rights and amnesty for undocumented workers They were joined by socialist and other leftist organizations on 1 May 72 73 On 1 May 2007 a mostly peaceful demonstration in Los Angeles in support of undocumented immigrant workers ended with a widely televised dispersal by police officers In March 2008 the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced that dockworkers will move no cargo at any West Coast ports on 1 May 2008 as a protest against the continuation of the Iraq War and the diversion of resources from domestic needs 74 On 1 May 2012 members of Occupy Wall Street and labor unions held protests together in a number of cities in the United States and Canada to commemorate May Day and to protest the state of the economy and economic inequality 75 76 nbsp An Industrial Workers of the World group marching in Minneapolis on 1 May 2010On 1 May 2017 immigrants rights advocates labor unions and leftists held protests against the immigration and economic policies of President Donald Trump in cities throughout the US Chicago and Los Angeles having some of the largest marches 77 78 On 1 May 2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic workers at Amazon Whole Foods Instacart Walmart FedEx Target and Shipt say they will walk off the job to protest their employers failure to provide basic protections for frontline workers who are risking and losing their lives at work 79 Additionally on the same day there will be a rent strike the largest in nearly a century 80 On 1 May 2021 black bloc protesters clashed with police in Oakland amp Portland Numerous other May Day activities occurred across the country 81 Uruguay edit In Uruguay 1 May Workers Day is an official holiday Even when it is associated with labour unions almost all workers tend to respect it Since the late 1990s the main event takes place at the First of May Square in Montevideo citation needed Venezuela edit 1 May is an official holiday in Venezuela El Dia del Trabajador is celebrated on 1 May in Venezuela since 1936 but from 1938 to 1945 it was held on 24 July by an order of Eleazar Lopez Contreras However Isaias Medina Angarita changed it back to 1 May in 1945 82 East Asia edit Mainland China edit nbsp International Workers Day celebration in Beijing on 1 May 19521 May is a statutory holiday in the People s Republic of China It was a three day holiday until 2008 but was only one day between 2008 and 2019 83 and was restored to three days after 2019 84 85 During a Golden Week surrounding weekends are rescheduled so that workers always have seven continuous days off Hong Kong edit In Hong Kong 1 May is known as Labour Day and has been considered a public holiday since 1999 Macau edit In Macau it is a public holiday and is officially known as Dia do Trabalhador Portuguese for Workers Day citation needed Taiwan edit 1 May is known as Labor Day in Taiwan an official holiday though not everybody gets a day off Students and teachers do not have this day off 86 Japan edit nbsp 2011 National Trade Union Council Zenrokyo May Day march TokyoSee also Labor Thanksgiving Day May Day is not officially designated by the Japanese government as a national holiday but as it lies between other national holidays it is a day off work for the vast majority of Japanese workers Many employers give it as a day off and otherwise workers take it as paid leave 1 May occurs during Golden Week together with 29 April Shōwa Day 3 May Constitution Memorial Day 4 May Greenery Day and 5 May Children s Day 87 Workers generally take the day off work not so much to join street rallies or labour union gatherings but more to go on holiday for several consecutive days in Japanese corporate culture taking weekdays off for personal pleasure is widely frowned upon Some major labour unions organize rallies and demonstrations in Tokyo 88 Osaka and Nagoya 89 Japan has a long history of labour activism and has had a communist and socialist party in the Diet since 1945 In 2008 the National Confederation of Trade Unions Zenrōren held a rally in Yoyogi Park attended by 44 000 participants while the National Trade Unions Council Zenrōkyō held its May Day rally at Hibiya Park citation needed Rengō the largest Japanese trade union held its May Day rally on the following Saturday 3 May allegedly to distance itself from the more radical labour unions citation needed North Korea edit In the Democratic People s Republic of Korea 1 May is known as International Workers Day and is a public holiday Celebrations local meetings and rallies are held every year throughout the country to honor the holiday 90 The Rungnado May Day Stadium in the capital of Pyongyang is named in honor of the holiday South Korea edit In the Republic of Korea 1 May is known simply as Workers Day It is not a public holiday but a paid holiday for workers by the Designation of Workers Day Act nb 3 Europe edit Albania edit Labour Day Albanian Dita e punetoreve is an official holiday celebrated on 1 May and thus schools and most businesses are closed 92 Armenia edit Labour Day Armenian Աշխատանքի օր ashxatanki or is an official holiday celebrated on 1 May 93 Austria edit nbsp 1st of May demonstration of the SPO at Rathausplatz in ViennaLabour Day Tag der Arbeit officially called Staatsfeiertag state s holiday is a public holiday in Austria Left parties especially social democrats organize celebrations with marches and speeches in all major cities In smaller towns and villages those marches are held the night before citation needed Belgium edit In Belgium Labour Day Dutch Dag van de Arbeid Feest van de Arbeid French Journee des travailleurs Fete du travail is observed on 1 May and is an official holiday since 1948 94 Various socialist and communist organizations hold parades and other events in different cities 95 Bosnia and Herzegovina edit In Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 and 2 May Bosnian and Serbian Prvi Maj Prvi Maј Croatian Prvi Svibanj are an official holiday and day off for public bodies and schools at the national level Most people celebrate this holiday by visiting natural parks and resorts Additionally in some places public events are organized In its capital city Sarajevo 12 and 13 June are also celebrated as Labour day citation needed due to its many natural parks and springs Bulgaria edit Labour Day is one of the public holidays in Bulgaria where it is known as Labour Day and International Workers Solidarity Day Bulgarian Den na truda i na mezhdunarodnata rabotnicheska solidarnost and celebrated annually on 1 May 96 The first attempt to celebrate it was in 1890 by the Bulgarian Typographical Association In 1939 Labour Day was declared an official holiday Since 1945 the communist authorities in the People s Republic of Bulgaria began to celebrate the holiday every year After the end of socialism in Bulgaria in 1989 Labour Day continues to be an official and public holiday but state authorities are not committed to the organization of mass events citation needed Croatia edit In Croatia 1 May is a national holiday Many public events are organized and held all over the country where bean soup is given out to all people as a symbol of a real workers dish Red carnations are also handed out to symbolise the origin of the day In Zagreb the capital a major gathering is in Maksimir Park which is located in the east part of Zagreb In Split city on the coast people go to Marjan a park forest at the western end of Split peninsula 97 Cyprus edit In Cyprus 1 May Greek Ergatikh Prwtomagia is considered as an official Public Holiday Labour Day In general all stores remain closed in public and private sector The Labor Union and Syndicates celebrate with various festivals and events across the country citation needed Czech Republic edit In the Czech Republic 1 May is an official and national holiday known as Labour Day Czech Svatek prace 98 Denmark edit In Denmark 1 May is not an official holiday but a variety of individuals mostly in the public sector construction industry and production industry get a half or a whole day off It was first celebrated in Copenhagen in 1890 The location of the first celebration the Faelledparken still plays an important part today with speeches by politicians and trade unionists to mark the occasion Many other events are also held around the country to commemorate the day 99 Estonia edit In Estonia 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as part of May Day Kevadpuha It also coincides with Walpurgis Day volbripaev citation needed Finland edit nbsp A May Day rally in Helsinki FinlandIn Finland 1 May is an official and national holiday It is mainly celebrated as a feast of students and spring called vappu or Walpurgis Night 100 Finland also celebrates Workers Day officially suomalaisen tyon paiva day of Finnish labour on the same day France edit nbsp May Day demonstration in Lyon FranceIn France 1 May is a public holiday It is in fact the only day of the year when employees are legally obliged to be given leave save professions that cannot be interrupted due to their nature such as workers in hospitals and public transport 101 Demonstrations and marches are a Labour Day tradition in France where trade unions organize parades in major cities to defend workers rights It is also customary to offer a lily of the valley to friends or family This custom dates back to 1561 when king Charles IX aged 10 waiting for his accession to the throne gave a lily of the valley to all ladies present Today the fiscal administration exempts individuals and workers organizations from any tax or administrative duties related to the sales of lilies of the valley provided they are gathered from the wild and not bought to be resold Germany edit In April 1933 the recently installed Nazi government declared 1 May the Day of National Work an official state holiday and announced that all celebrations were to be organized by the government Any separate celebrations by Communists Social Democrats or labour unions were banned citation needed After World War II 1 May remained a state holiday in both East and West Germany In communist East Germany workers were de facto required to participate in large state organized parades on May Day citation needed Today in Germany it is simply called Labour Day Tag der Arbeit and there are numerous demonstrations and celebrations by independent workers organizations Today Berlin witnesses yearly demonstrations on May Day the largest organised by labour unions political parties the far left and the leftist Autonomen nbsp May Day rally in Hanover Germany 1 May 2013Since 1987 May Day has also become known for riots in some districts of Berlin After police actions against radical leftists in that year s annual demonstrations the Autonomen scattered and sought cover at the ongoing annual street fair in Kreuzberg Three years prior to the reunification of Germany violent protests would only take place in the former West Berlin The protesters began tipping over police cars violently resisting arrest and began building barricades after the police withdrew due to the unforeseen resistance Cars were set on fire shops plundered and burned to the ground The police eventually ended the riots the following night These violent forms of protests by the radical left later increasingly involved participants without political motivation 102 Annual street fairs have proven an effective way to prevent riots and May Day in 2005 and 2006 have been among the most peaceful known to Berlin in nearly 25 years In recent years neo Nazis and other groups on the far right such as the National Democratic Party of Germany have used the day to schedule public demonstrations often leading to clashes with left wing protesters which turned especially violent in Leipzig in 1998 and 2005 citation needed May Day violence flared up again in 2010 After an approved far right demonstration was blocked by leftists a parade by an estimated 10 000 leftists and anarchists turned violent and resulted in an active response by the Berlin Police 103 Greece edit In Greece 1 May is an optional public holiday The Ministry of Labour retains the right to classify it as an official public holiday on an annual basis and it customarily does so 104 The day is called Ergatiki Proto magia Ergatikh Prwtomagia lit Workers 1 May and celebrations are marked by demonstrations in which left wing political parties anti authority groups and workers unions participate On May Day in 2010 there were major protests all over Greece most notably Athens and Thessaloniki by many left anarchist and communist supporters and some violent clashes with riot police who were sent out to contain the protesters They opposed economic reforms an end to job losses and wage cuts in the face of the government s proposals of massive public spending cuts These reforms are to fall in line with the IMF EU ECB loan proposals which demand that Greece liberalize its economy and cut its public spending and private sector wages which many believe will decrease living standards 105 Hungary edit Hungary celebrates 1 May as a national holiday with open air festivities and fairs all over the country Many towns raise May poles and festivals with various themes are organized around the holiday Left wing parties and trade unions hold public rallies commemorating Labour Day 106 Iceland edit In Iceland the Labour Day Icelandic Barattudagur verkalydsins is a public holiday The first demonstration for workers rights in Iceland occurred in 1923 A parade composed of trade unions and other groups marches through towns and cities across the country and speeches are delivered 107 However some private businesses are open mainly in the capital 108 Ireland edit nbsp May Day parade in Belfast 2011The Irish Congress of Trade Unions ICTU marks May Day with rallies take place in Belfast and Dublin and other events such as lectures concerts and film screenings also take place around a wider May Day festival 109 110 The first Monday in May has been a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland since 1994 111 and in Northern Ireland since 1978 112 In the Republic the public holiday was demanded by the ICTU 113 and proposed by the Labour Party in negotiating its 1992 94 coalition government with Fianna Fail and marked the centenary of the ICTU s predecessor the Irish Trades Union Congress 114 The public holiday has no official designation as Workers Day or otherwise 115 In 2005 Labour s Ruairi Quinn condemned as a slight to workers an alleged Fianna Fail proposal to replace the May holiday with one on 24 April commemorating the 1916 Rising in fact the proposal was for an extra holiday 116 Italy edit nbsp Traditional 1 May Concert in St John Lateran square RomeThe first May Day celebration in Italy took place in 1890 It started initially as an attempt to celebrate workers achievements in their struggle for their rights and for better social and economic conditions citation needed It was abolished under the Fascist regime and immediately restored after the Second World War During the fascist period a Holiday of the Italian Labour Festa del lavoro italiano was celebrated on 21 April the date of Natale di Roma when Rome was allegedly founded citation needed May Day is now an important celebration in Italy and is a national holiday regardless of what day of the week it falls The Concerto del Primo Maggio 1st of May Concert organized by Italian labour unions in Rome in Piazza di Porta San Giovanni has become an important event in recent years Every year the concert is attended by a large audience of mostly young people and involves the participation of many famous bands and songwriters lasting from 15 00 until midnight The concert is usually broadcast live on Rai 3 117 A second big concert is organised in the city of Taranto and it is transmitted locally by TGR Apulia Lithuania edit First May Day is an official public holiday celebrated as International Work Day Lithuanian Tarptautine darbo diena 118 Celebrations for workers day were mandatory during the Soviet occupation and carry a negative connotation as a result today As Lithuania declared its independence in 1990 Work Day lost its public holiday status but regained it in 2001 119 120 Latvia edit First May Day is an official public holiday celebrated as Convocation of the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Latvia Labour Day 121 Luxembourg edit In Luxembourg 1 May called the Dag vun der Aarbecht Day of Labour is a legal holiday traditionally associated with large demonstrations by trade unions in Luxembourg City and other cities 122 Malta edit In Malta 1 May is an official public holiday celebrated as Workers Day 123 together with the religious feast of Saint Joseph the Worker Saint Joseph s Day 19 March the saint s main feast is also a public holiday in Malta 123 A Labour mass meeting takes place on 1 May Nationalists celebrate accession to the European Union on 1 May 2004 Montenegro edit 1 May is an official public holiday and a day off work and a day out of school It is the only official holiday from socialist times that is still officially celebrated 124 Netherlands edit In the Netherlands 1 May or Labour Day Dutch Dag van de Arbeid is not an official holiday This is due in part to its proximity to the national holiday Koningsdag which was celebrated on the day before until 2013 Labour movements also didn t see the need to agitate for an extra day off during the Post World War II recovery efforts Liberals who joined the Labour Party in this same period also wanted to distance themselves from the Soviet Union because of Cold War sentiments 125 North Macedonia edit nbsp First May Day celebration of the Ottoman period in Skopje 1909In North Macedonia 1 May Macedonian Den na Trudot Den na Trudot is an official public holiday Before 2007 2 may was also a public holiday People celebrate with friends and family at traditional picnics across the country accompanied by the usual outdoor games various grilled meats and beverages Left organizations and some trade unions organize protests on 1 May 126 Norway edit nbsp Norway s former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg gives his 1 May speech in 2009 in Oslo Norway In Norway Labour Day Norwegian Arbeidernes Dag is celebrated 1 May and is an official public holiday It was introduced in 1942 by Vidkun Quisling of the Nasjonal Samling party modelled after the German Nationaler Feiertag des deutschen Volkes 127 Poland edit nbsp 1 May Coal Mine in Wodzislaw Slaski PolandIn Poland since the fall of communism 1 May is officially celebrated as May Day but is commonly called Labour Day 128 129 it is currently celebrated without a specific connotation and as such it is May Day However due to historical connotations most of the large organized celebrations are focused around Labour Day festivities It is customary for labour activists to organize parades in cities and towns across Poland The holiday is also commonly referred to as Labour Day Polish Swieto Pracy citation needed In Poland May Day is closely followed by May 3rd Constitution Day These two dates combined often result in a long weekend called Majowka which may last for up to 9 days from 28 April to 6 May at the cost of taking only 3 days off People often travel and Majowka is unofficially considered the start of barbecuing season in Poland citation needed Between these two on 2 May there is a patriotic holiday the Day of the Polish Flag Dzien Flagi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej introduced by a Parliamentary Act of 20 February 2004 The day however does not force paid time off citation needed In Soviet times streets places squares parks and also factories were frequently named in honor of International Workers Day such as 1 Maja Coal Mine in Wodzislaw Slaski citation needed Portugal edit In Portugal the 1 May celebration Portuguese Primeiro de Maio was suppressed during the Estado Novo dictatorship The first workers day demonstration was held a week after the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974 It is still the largest demonstration in the history of Portugal It is used as an opportunity for workers and workers groups to voice their discontent over working conditions in demonstrations across Portugal the largest being held in Lisbon It is an official public holiday 130 Romania edit nbsp Delegates of the Romanian Communist Party on 1 May 1965In Romania 1 May known as the International Labour Day Romanian Ziua internațională a muncii the International Workers Day Ziua internațională a oamenilor muncii or simply 1 First of May 1 Intai Mai is an official public holiday During the communist regime like in all former Eastern Bloc countries the day was marked by large state organized parades in most towns and cities After the Romanian Revolution of 1989 1 May continues to be an official public holiday but without any state organized events or parades Most people celebrate together with friends and family organising picnics and barbecues It is also the first day of the year when people especially those from the southeastern part of the country including the capital Bucharest go to spend the day in one of the Romanian Black Sea resorts citation needed Russia edit nbsp Russian Communist Workers Party demonstration on 1 May 2008 in IzhevskMay Day also known in Russia as the Day of International Workers Solidarity the 1st of May Russian Den mezhdunarodnoj solidarnosti trudyashihsya Pervoe ma ya was celebrated illegally in the country until the February Revolution enabled the first legal celebration in 1917 The following year after the Bolshevik seizure of power the May Day celebrations were boycotted by Mensheviks Left Socialist Revolutionaries and anarchists It became an important official holiday of the Soviet Union celebrated with elaborate popular parade in the centre of the major cities The biggest celebration was traditionally organized in Red Square where the General Secretary of the CPSU and other party and government leaders stood atop Lenin s Mausoleum and waved to the crowds Until 1969 the holiday was marked by military parades throughout the Russian SFSR and the union republics citation needed The following was the order of the march past Parade commander holding the appointment of commanding officer of the Moscow Military District Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music College Frunze Military Academy V I Lenin Military Political Academy Felix Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy Military Armored Forces Academy Marshal Rodion Malinovsky Military Engineering Academy Military Academy of Chemical Defense and Control Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy Prof Nikolai Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy Delegation of naval officer cadets from the Soviet Navy 131 98th Guards Airborne Division Moscow Border Guards Institute of the Border Defence Forces of the KGB Moscow City Council Separate Operational Purpose Division 336th Marine Brigade of the Baltic Fleet Suvorov Military School and Nakhimov Naval Schools Moscow Military Combined Arms Command Training School Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR Mobile Column 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division 4th Guards Tank Division Missile Troops and Artillery of the Moscow Military District 1st Aerospace Defense Army Northern Fleet and Baltic Fleet Coastal Defense Surface and Submarine Forces until 1974 Massed Bands of the Moscow Military District parade finale The first of these parades were held 1918 when Vladimir Lenin presided over a ceremony at Khodynka Field 132 Notable parades included the parade of 1941 which saw the presence of a Wehrmacht delegation led by Ernst August Kostring 133 and 1963 where Cuban leader Fidel Castro was a guest The only parades on 1 May to be cancelled were the parades scheduled during the years of the Second World War and the 1965 parade this was cancelled to make way for the 1965 Moscow Victory Day Parade nine days later In 1979 ten years after the last annual parade a brief exhibition drill and military tattoo of the forces of the Moscow Garrison took place 134 In 1991 which preceded the last year that demonstrations were held in Red Square May Day grew into high spirited political action Around 50 000 people participated in a rally in Red Square in 1991 after which the tradition was interrupted for 13 years In the early post Soviet period the holiday turned into massive political gatherings of supporters of radically minded politicians For instance an action dubbed as a rally of communist oriented organisations was held in Red Square in 1992 The rally began with performance of the Soviet Union anthem and raising the Red Flag and ended with appeals from the leader of opposition movement Working Moscow Viktor Anpilov for early dismissal of President Boris Yeltsin ousting Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov from power and putting the latter on trial Since 1992 May Day is officially called Spring and Labor Day and remains a major holiday in present day Russia nbsp May Day 2010 in Moscow anarchist demonstration nbsp May Day 2009 in Severodvinsk red flags and social slogans visible nbsp Column of democratic left at the 2011 May Day march in Moscow LevSD Committee for a Workers International LGBT feministsIn 1993 a Moscow May Day rally followed by a procession organized by the National Salvation Front Labor Moscow and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation turned into clashes between demonstrators and riot police near houses 30 and 37 along Leninsky Avenue 135 note 1 After the demonstrators broke through the cordon OMON went on a counterattack near house 37 along Leninsky Avenue The demonstrators fought fiercely using banner poles To overcome the barriers the demonstrators used trucks as rams One of the rams resulted in severe injuries to OMON Sergeant Vladimir Tolokneyev who died four days later Media reports on the number of victims varied the initial figure of 150 people soon quadrupled 135 1 May is celebrated annually by communists anarchists and other organizations as the Day of International Solidarity of Workers These events are accompanied by the promotion of sharp social and political slogans Government of bankrupts resign WE do not want to pay for YOUR crisis Self organization Self government Self defense etc 136 137 The Spring and Labor Day celebrated as a state holiday is usually used for political actions under independent slogans by trade unions parties and movements of various orientations from the left to the far right United Russia together with the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia and the Young Guard of United Russia A Just Russia the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Yabloko Solidarnost the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and Autonomous Action 138 139 The slogans of official events organized by the authorities are far from the historical roots of the May Day demonstrations Putin s plan is a plan for Victory Bonuses for pensioners Three kids in a family is the norm 140 A more radical attitude to the holiday in 2009 was expressed by the head of the metropolitan branch of the Right Cause party Igor Trunov To be honest I didn t really want to celebrate 1 May because I don t stand in solidarity with the workers of Chicago where this holiday came from 141 On 1 May 2013 several hundred thousand workers took to the streets of Russian cities More than 100 000 people took part in the May Day demonstration in Moscow 142 Since 2014 a national civil parade has been held on 1 May on Red Square with similar events held in major cities and regional capitals In 2016 the celebration of Easter and May Day overlapped 143 which led to the abandonment of May Day events in some regions 144 Serbia edit In Serbia 1 May and also 2 May is a day off work and a day out of school It is one of the major popular holidays and the only official holiday from socialist times that is still officially celebrated People celebrate it all over the country By tradition 1 May is celebrated by countryside picnics and outdoor barbecues May is marked by warm weather in Serbia In Belgrade the capital most people go to Avala or Kosutnjak which are parks located in Rakovica and Cukarica People go around the country to enjoy nature A major religious holiday of Djurdjevdan is on 6 May so quite often days off work are given to connect these two holidays and weekend creating a small spring break 1 May is celebrated by most of the population regardless of political views Slovakia edit In Slovakia 1 May is an official holiday Celebrations are held surrounding workers day but are also connected with the commemoration of the entry of the Slovak Republic into the European Union 1 May 2004 145 Slovenia edit In Slovenia 1 May and 2 May are public holidays There are many official events all over the country to celebrate workers day In Ljubljana the capital the main celebration is held on Roznik Hill in the city On the night of 30 April bonfires are traditionally burned 146 Spain edit Main article Labor Day in Spain nbsp May Day rally in Barcelona SpainThe first Dia del Trabajador was celebrated in 1889 but only became a public holiday with the beginning of the Spanish Second Republic in 1931 It was banned afterwards by the Franco regime in 1937 147 The year after it was decreed that the Fiesta de la Exaltacion del Trabajo or Labor Festival be held on 18 July the anniversary of the Francoist military coup instead 148 After the death of Francisco Franco in 1975 and the move towards democracy the first large rallies on 1 May began again in 1977 It was re introduced as a public holiday in 1978 149 Commonly peaceful demonstrations and parades occur in major and minor cities 150 151 Sweden edit nbsp Swedish Social Democratic Party at May Day demonstration in Stockholm Sweden in 2006 The party has dominated Swedish politics for nearly a century The trade union palace in Stockholm is seen at the end of the picture 1 May has been an important part of Swedish history since the late 19th century The day was made a public holiday in 1938 but had been celebrated by the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the left since 1890 The first May Day celebration gathered more than 50 000 people in central Stockholm The crowd went to hear speeches by the leading figures in the Swedish labour movement such as Hjalmar Branting later prime minister August Palm and Hinke Bergegren During World War I the demonstrations mainly had a peace message and the Liberal Party also joined the demonstrations The eight hour working day and women s suffrage were the principal themes during the troubled times after World War I Recognizing the central contributions of workers and international worker solidarity in Swedish social economic political and cultural development May Day demonstrations are an important part of Swedish politics and culture for social democrats left parties and unions In Stockholm the Social Democratic Party always marches towards Norra Bantorget the historical physical centre of the Swedish labour movement where they hold speeches in front of the headquarters of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation while the smaller Left Party marches in larger numbers 152 towards Kungstradgarden Since 1967 the Communist Party and its youth wing Revolutionary Communist Youth have held their own May Day march known as Rod Front Red Front 153 In 2016 Rod Front marches were held at 33 locations across the country 154 The largest Rod Front marches are usually held in the industrial and financial port town of Gothenburg Sweden s second largest city and one of the party s strongholds 155 156 nbsp May Day in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in the 1970sSwitzerland edit In Switzerland the status of 1 May differs depending on the canton and sometimes on the municipality Labour Day is known as Tag der Arbeit in German speaking cantons as Fete du travail in the French speaking cantons and as Festa del lavoro in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino In the cantons of Basel Landschaft Basel Stadt Jura Neuchatel and Zurich Labour Day is an official public holiday equal to Sundays based on federal law Bundesgesetz uber die Arbeit in Industrie Gewerbe und Handel article 20a In the cantons of Schaffhausen Thurgau and Ticino Labour Day is an official day off Ruhetag This is equal in practice to an official public holiday but is not based on federal law and cantonal regulations may differ in details In the canton of Solothurn it is an official half day holiday starting at 12 noon In the canton of Fribourg public servants get the afternoon off many companies follow this practice In the canton of Aargau it is not an official holiday but most employees get the afternoon off In the municipalities of Hildisrieden and Schupfheim both in the canton of Lucerne as well as in Muotathal canton of Schwyz 1 May is an official public holiday but as commemoration day of the local patron saint not as Labour Day In the other parts of the cantons of Lucerne and Schwyz 1 May is a regular work day In all other cantons 1 May is a regular work day 157 The largest Labour Day celebrations in Switzerland are held in the city of Zurich Each year Zurich s 1 May committee together with the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions organizes a festival and 1 May rally It is the largest rally held on a regular basis in Switzerland 158 Turkey edit nbsp Istanbul May Day clashes in 2013 nbsp Workers marching to Taksim Square 1 May 20121 May is an official holiday celebrated in Turkey It was a holiday until 1981 when it was canceled after the 1980 coup d etat In 2010 the Turkish government restored the holiday after some casualties and demonstrations Taksim Square is the centre of the celebrations due to the Taksim Square massacre citation needed Workers Day was first celebrated in 1912 in Istanbul and in 1899 in Izmir After the establishment of the Turkish Republic it became an official holiday In 1924 it was forbidden by a decree and in both 1924 and 1925 demonstrations were intervened by arm floats In 1935 The National Assembly declared Workers Day to be a holiday again 159 During the events leading to the 1980 Turkish coup d etat a massacre occurred on 1 May 1977 Taksim Square massacre in which unknown people agents provocateurs opened fire on the crowd The crowd was the biggest in Turkish workers history with the number of people approximating 500 000 In the next two years provocations and confusion continued and peaked before the 1980 coup d etat The Workers Day holiday was cancelled once again Still demonstrations continued with small crowds and in 1996 three people were killed by police bullets and a plain clothes man who spied in the crowd was revealed and lynched by workers On the same evening a video broadcast on TV showed that two participants in the demonstration were lynched by far right wing nationalist groups and this lynching occurred in front of police forces who were watching the scene with happy faces Thus 1 May 1996 has been remembered by workers movements 159 In 2007 the 30th anniversary of the Taksim Square Massacre leftist workers unions wanted to commemorate the massacre in Taksim Square Since the government would not let them into the square 580 700 people were stopped and 1 person died under police control After these events the government declared 1 May as Work and Solidarity Day but not as a holiday In the next year the day was declared as a holiday but people were still not allowed to gather in Taksim Square 160 The year 2008 was remembered with police violence in Istanbul Police fired tear gas grenades among the crowds and into hospitals and a primary school Workers pushed forward so that in 2010 140 000 people gathered in Taksim and in 2011 there were more than half a million demonstrators citation needed After three years of peaceful meetings in 2013 meetings in Taksim Square were forbidden by the government Clashes occurred between police and workers water cannon and tear gas have been widely used 161 Ukraine edit It is a public holiday in Ukraine inherited from the Soviet era May Day as a day of workers solidarity in Kyiv began as early as 1894 162 Until 2018 2 May was also a public holiday as in the Soviet era instead in 2017 Western Christianity s Christmas celebrated 25 December became a new Ukrainian public holiday 163 164 The 1 May International Workers Day remained a Ukrainian public holiday although it was renamed also in 2017 from Day of International Solidarity of Workers to Labour Day 164 In 2015 May Day rallies were banned in Kyiv and Kharkiv 165 Late May 2015 laws that ban communist symbols came into effect in Ukraine thus banning communist symbols singing the Soviet national hymn or the Internationale 166 According to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov during the 2016 May Day rallies in some major cities the number of police officers far outnumbered the number of rally participants 167 With in Dnipro 193 policemen protecting 25 rally participants 167 United Kingdom edit A public bank holiday in the United Kingdom known as May Day was created in 1978 and is held on the first Monday in May each year 168 There are many traditional May Day rites and celebrations some of which have been held for hundreds of years However it was not until the late 20th century that May Day in Great Britain became linked to International Workers Day and the holiday is not officially a Labour Day Oceania edit Australia edit nbsp The Labour Day March in Brisbane Queensland is the largest rally in Australia While unofficial activities and commemorations associated with International Workers Day occur on May Day in Australia Labour Day in the various states and territories generally falls on other days Only in the Northern Territory where it is called May Day and Queensland is Labour Day celebrated on the first Monday in May which is a public holiday under the name of May Day Queensland holds the biggest rallies in Australia with the rally in Brisbane averaging 30 000 people citation needed In Australia one of the first May Day marches occurred in Queensland on 1 May 1891 169 There are also rallies held in Cairns Rockhampton Townsville Barcaldine Ipswich Toowoomba Bundaberg Maryborough Sunshine Coast Gold Coast and other regional centres citation needed New Zealand edit New Zealand workers were among the first in the world to claim the right for an eight hour working day when in 1840 the carpenter Samuel Parnell 170 won an eight hour day in Wellington Labour Day was first celebrated in New Zealand on 28 October 1890 171 Labour day falls every year on the fourth Monday of October South Asia edit Bangladesh edit In Bangladesh 1 May Day is a public holiday and called May Day A parade and other events are held on the day to commemorate the occasion 172 India edit nbsp Triumph of Labour at the Marina Beach in ChennaiIn India Labour Day is a public holiday held on every 1 May 173 The holiday is tied to labour movements for communist and socialist political parties Labour Day is known as Uzhaipalar dhinam in Tamil and was first celebrated in Madras Kamgar Din in Hindi Karmikara Dinacharane in Kannada Karmika Dinotsavam in Telugu Kamgar Divas in Marathi Thozhilaali Dinam in Malayalam and Shromik Dibosh in Bengali Since Labour day is not a national holiday Labour day is observed as public holiday at State Government s discretion Many parts especially in North Indian States it is not a public holiday 174 The first celebration in India was organized in Madras now Chennai by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on 1 May 1923 175 This was also the first time the red flag was used in India 176 The party leader Singaravelu Chettiar made arrangements to celebrate May Day in two places in 1923 One meeting was held at the beach opposite to the Madras High Court the other meeting was held at the Triplicane beach The Hindu newspaper published from Madras reported 177 The Labour Kisan party has introduced May Day celebrations in Madras Comrade Singaravelar presided over the meeting A resolution was passed stating that the government should declare May Day as a holiday The president of the party explained the non violent principles of the party There was a request for financial aid It was emphasised that workers of the world must unite to achieve independence 1 May is also celebrated as Maharashtra Day 178 and Gujarat Day to mark the date in 1960 when the two western states attained statehood after the erstwhile Bombay State was divided on linguistic lines Maharashtra Day is held at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai Schools and offices in Maharashtra remain closed on 1 May A similar parade is held to celebrate Gujarat Day in Gandhinagar Vaiko Vai Gopalsamy General Secretary of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam appealed to the then Prime Minister V P Singh to declare 1 May as a national holiday to which the PM heeded and from then on it became a national holiday to celebrate International Labour Day 179 non primary source needed Maldives edit Maldives first observed the holiday in 2011 after a declaration by President Mohamed Nasheed He noted that this move highlighted the government s commitment as well as efforts of private parties to protect and promote workers rights in the Maldives 180 Nepal edit 1 May Day has been celebrated in Nepal since 1963 181 The day became a public holiday in 2007 182 Pakistan edit International Labour Day is observed in Pakistan on 1 May to commemorate the social and economic achievements of workers It is a public and national holiday Many organized street demonstrations take place on Labor Day where workers and labor unions protest against labor repression and demand for more rights better wages and benefits 183 Sri Lanka edit In Sri Lanka May Day was declared a public bank and mercantile holiday in 1956 184 The government has held official May Day celebrations in major towns and cities with the largest being in the capital Colombo During celebrations it is common to witness party leaders greeting the crowds Workers frequently carry banners with political slogans and many parties decorate their vehicles citation needed Southeast Asia edit Cambodia edit In Cambodia it is known as International Labour Day and is a public holiday 185 No marches for labour day were permitted in Cambodia for several years after the 2013 Cambodian general election and surrounding mass protests A tightly controlled march on a limited scale was first permitted again in 2019 186 Indonesia edit nbsp Protest march in Jakarta Indonesia 1 May 2007May Day often referred locally as Labour Day in Indonesia was first observed as a public holiday from 2014 Every year on the day labourers take over the streets in major cities across the country voicing their demands for better income amp a supportive policy by the ministries 187 Malaysia edit Malaysia began observing the holiday in 1972 following an announcement by the late Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Abdul Rahman 188 Myanmar edit In Myanmar 1 May is known as Labour Day Burmese အလ ပ သမ န and is a public holiday 189 Philippines edit 1 May is known as Labor Day Filipino Araw ng Manggagawa also known as Araw ng Paggawa and is a public holiday in the Philippines On this day labour organizations and unions hold protests in major cities On 1 May 1903 during the American colonial period the Union Obrera Democratica Filipina Filipino Democratic Labor Union held a rally in front of the Malacanang Palace demanding workers economic rights and Philippine independence In 1908 the Philippine Assembly passed a bill officially recognizing 1 May as a national holiday In 1913 the first official celebration was held on 1 May 1913 when 36 labour unions convened for a congress in Manila 190 During the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a policy was adopted called holiday economics policy that moved holidays to either a Monday or a Friday to create a long weekend of three days In 2002 Labor Day was moved to the Monday nearest to 1 May Labour groups protested as they accused the Arroyo administration of belittling the holiday 191 By 2008 Labor Day was excluded in the holiday economics policy returning the commemorations to 1 May no matter what day of the week it falls on 1 Singapore edit In Singapore it is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday 192 Thailand edit In Thailand the day is known in English as National Labour Day and is one of 17 official public holidays in Thailand 193 Vietnam edit In Vietnam it is known as International Labour Day Vietnamese Ngay Quốc tế Lao động and is a public holiday 194 It was first adopted by the Nguyễn dynasty on the 11th day of the 9th month of the 16th year of the Bảo Đại Emperor 30 October 1941 by imperial decree 194 Later on 29 April 1946 President Hồ Chi Minh issued Sắc lệnh số 56 Decree No 56 which adopted the holiday for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam 194 According to the decree workers in public offices private offices and factories throughout the country are entitled to a day off from work International Labour 1 5 and still receive the same salary as a working day 194 On 1 May 1946 the first International Labour Day of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was held 194 West Asia edit Bahrain edit In Bahrain 1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday 195 Iran edit In Iran 1 May is known as the International Workers Day It is not a public holiday but according to article 63 of Iranian labour law on top of the official public holidays observed in the Islamic Republic of Iran Labour Day shall be considered an official holiday for workers 196 Iraq edit In Iraq it is known as the International Workers Day and is a public holiday 197 Israel edit nbsp Israel 1 May 2007After historically varying popularity of Labour Day 1 May is not an official holiday in the State of Israel In the 1980s there were several large marches in Tel Aviv numbering as much as 350 000 in 1983 and perhaps even more in 1988 but a steady decline in numbers led to only 5 000 marchers in 2010 During the 1990s businesses began to treat it like a regular working day as the number of May Day related activities decreased 198 1 May is largely celebrated by the former Soviet Jews who immigrated to Israel in the 1990s citation needed Jordan edit 1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday 199 Lebanon edit 1 May known as the Workers Day and is a public holiday Left wing parties and workers unions organize marches on 1 May 200 Palestine edit 1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday 201 202 203 Yemen edit 1 May is known as Labour Day and is a public holiday 204 Observation tables by countries and territories editCountry International Workers Day Labour Day on 1 May nbsp Afghanistan nbsp No no holiday nbsp Albania nbsp Yes nbsp Algeria nbsp Yes nbsp Andorra nbsp Yes nbsp Angola nbsp Yes nbsp Antigua and Barbuda nbsp Yes nbsp Argentina nbsp Yes nbsp Armenia nbsp Yes nbsp Australia nbsp No date varies by state territory nbsp Austria nbsp Yes nbsp Azerbaijan nbsp No no holiday nbsp Bahamas nbsp Yes nbsp Bahrain nbsp Yes nbsp Bangladesh nbsp Yes nbsp Barbados nbsp Yes nbsp Belarus nbsp Yes nbsp Belgium nbsp Yes nbsp Belize nbsp Yes nbsp Benin nbsp Yes nbsp Bhutan nbsp Yes nbsp Bolivia nbsp Yes nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina nbsp Yes nbsp Botswana nbsp Yes nbsp Brazil nbsp Yes nbsp Brunei nbsp Yes nbsp Bulgaria nbsp Yes nbsp Burkina Faso nbsp Yes nbsp Burundi nbsp Yes nbsp Cambodia nbsp Yes nbsp Cameroon nbsp Yes nbsp Canada nbsp No first Monday in September nbsp Cape Verde nbsp Yes nbsp Central African Republic nbsp Yes nbsp Chad nbsp Yes nbsp Chile nbsp Yes nbsp China nbsp Yes nbsp Colombia nbsp Yes nbsp Comoros nbsp Yes nbsp Republic of the Congo nbsp Yes nbsp Democratic Republic of the Congo nbsp Yes nbsp Costa Rica nbsp Yes nbsp Croatia nbsp Yes nbsp Cuba nbsp Yes nbsp Cyprus nbsp Yes nbsp Czech Republic nbsp Yes nbsp Denmark nbsp No no holiday nbsp Djibouti nbsp Yes nbsp Dominica nbsp Yes nbsp Dominican Republic nbsp Yes nbsp East Timor nbsp Yes nbsp Ecuador nbsp Yes nbsp Egypt nbsp Yes nbsp El Salvador nbsp Yes nbsp Equatorial Guinea nbsp Yes nbsp Eritrea nbsp No May Day celebrated instead nbsp Estonia nbsp No May Day celebrated instead nbsp Eswatini nbsp Yes nbsp Ethiopia nbsp Yes nbsp Fiji nbsp No no holiday nbsp Finland nbsp No May Day celebrated instead nbsp France nbsp Yes nbsp Gabon nbsp Yes nbsp Gambia nbsp Yes nbsp Georgia nbsp Yes nbsp Germany nbsp Yes nbsp Ghana nbsp Yes nbsp Greece nbsp Yes nbsp Grenada nbsp Yes nbsp Guatemala nbsp Yes nbsp Guinea nbsp Yes nbsp Guinea Bissau nbsp Yes nbsp Guyana nbsp Yes nbsp Haiti nbsp Yes nbsp Honduras nbsp Yes nbsp Hungary nbsp Yes nbsp Iceland nbsp Yes nbsp India nbsp Yes nbsp Indonesia nbsp Yes nbsp Iran nbsp Yes nbsp Iraq nbsp Yes nbsp Ireland nbsp Yes nbsp Israel nbsp No no holiday nbsp Italy nbsp Yes nbsp Ivory Coast nbsp Yes nbsp Jamaica nbsp No nbsp Japan nbsp No nbsp Jordan nbsp Yes nbsp Kazakhstan nbsp No Kazakhstan People s Unity Day celebrated instead Labour Day falls on last Sunday in September nbsp Kenya nbsp Yes nbsp Kiribati nbsp Yes nbsp Kuwait nbsp Yes nbsp Kyrgyzstan nbsp Yes nbsp Laos nbsp Yes nbsp Latvia nbsp Yes nbsp Lebanon nbsp Yes nbsp Lesotho nbsp Yes nbsp Liberia nbsp No no holiday nbsp Libya nbsp Yes nbsp Liechtenstein nbsp Yes nbsp Lithuania nbsp Yes nbsp Luxembourg nbsp Yes nbsp Madagascar nbsp Yes nbsp Malawi nbsp Yes nbsp Malaysia nbsp Yes nbsp Maldives nbsp Yes nbsp Mali nbsp Yes nbsp Malta nbsp Yes nbsp Marshall Islands nbsp Yes nbsp Mauritania nbsp Yes nbsp Mauritius nbsp Yes nbsp Mexico nbsp Yes nbsp Micronesia nbsp Yes nbsp Moldova nbsp Yes nbsp Monaco nbsp Yes nbsp Mongolia nbsp No no holiday nbsp Montenegro nbsp Yes nbsp Morocco nbsp Yes nbsp Mozambique nbsp Yes nbsp Myanmar nbsp Yes nbsp Namibia nbsp Yes nbsp Nauru nbsp Yes nbsp Nepal nbsp Yes nbsp Netherlands nbsp No no holiday nbsp New Zealand nbsp No fourth Monday in October nbsp Nicaragua nbsp Yes nbsp Niger nbsp Yes nbsp Nigeria nbsp Yes nbsp North Korea nbsp Yes nbsp North Macedonia nbsp Yes nbsp Norway nbsp Yes nbsp Oman nbsp No no holiday nbsp Pakistan nbsp Yes nbsp Palau nbsp Yes nbsp Panama nbsp Yes nbsp Papua New Guinea nbsp No no holiday nbsp Paraguay nbsp Yes nbsp Peru nbsp Yes nbsp Philippines nbsp Yes nbsp Poland nbsp Yes nbsp Portugal nbsp Yes nbsp Qatar nbsp Yes nbsp Romania nbsp Yes nbsp Russia nbsp Yes nbsp Rwanda nbsp Yes nbsp Saint Kitts and Nevis nbsp Yes nbsp Saint Lucia nbsp Yes nbsp Saint Vincent and the Grenadines nbsp Yes nbsp Samoa nbsp No no holiday nbsp San Marino nbsp Yes nbsp Sao Tome and Principe nbsp Yes nbsp Saudi Arabia nbsp No no holiday nbsp Senegal nbsp Yes nbsp Serbia nbsp Yes nbsp Seychelles nbsp Yes nbsp Sierra Leone nbsp No no holiday nbsp Singapore nbsp Yes nbsp Slovakia nbsp Yes nbsp Slovenia nbsp Yes nbsp Solomon Islands nbsp No no holiday nbsp Somalia nbsp Yes nbsp South Africa nbsp Yes nbsp South Korea nbsp No no holiday per Labor Day Act employers can stipulate that 1 May be made an official holiday within the company s rules of employment nbsp South Sudan nbsp Yes nbsp Spain nbsp Yes nbsp Sri Lanka nbsp Yes nbsp Sudan nbsp No no holiday nbsp Suriname nbsp Yes nbsp Sweden nbsp Yes nbsp Switzerland nbsp Yes nbsp Syria nbsp Yes nbsp Taiwan nbsp Yes nbsp Tajikistan nbsp Yes nbsp Tanzania nbsp Yes nbsp Thailand nbsp Yes nbsp Togo nbsp Yes nbsp Tonga sp, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. |