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For the past 134 years, May 1 has been the date on which labour movements worldwide have celebrated their achievements. The origins of the May Day celebrations — the 1886 Haymarket Tragedy in Chicago — occurred in a world materially different from where we find ourselves now.
The essence of the 1886 struggle was the demand for an eight-hour workday, and was influenced by the prevalence of exploitive labour practices and the rapid industrialisation of the workplace in Chicago. Low hygiene standards and inhumane treatment of animals in meatpacking factories — best captured by Upton Sinclair in his book The Jungle — added a dimension of environmental awareness to the labour struggle...
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