theSocialist May Day greetings11 - 18 April 20132017Socialist Workplace 5 ■ May Day 2017 pull-out - an introduction to May Day plus ten pages of greetings The real origins of May Day

He ensured the jury was made up of “such men as the prosecutor wants” - a practice echoed by today’s jury selection in Ireland’s Jobstown pro- test trial! On 19 August that jury duly re- turned a verdict of guilty. Before sentence was formally announced, the defendants were allowed to make statements. One of the eight, August Spies, a leader of the anarchist International Working People’s Association, made a powerful speech: “Your Honour,” he began, “in addressing this court I speak as the representative of one class to the representative of another… “If you think that by hanging us you can stamp out the labour move- ment... the movement from which the downtrodden millions, the mil- lions who toil in want and misery expect salvation - if this is your opin- ion, then hang us! “Here you will tread upon a spark, but there and there, behind you - and in front of you, and eve- rywhere, flames blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out.” On 11 November 1887, four of the union leaders were executed. International protests followed. Huge meetings were addressed in England and Wales by Eleanor Marx, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and William Morris. 200,000 people in Chicago lined the streets for the funerals. Day of From that day on, 1 May has grown to an international day of solidarity among working people. In 1889, the founding meeting in Paris of what became known as the Second International passed a reso- Engraving of the Haymarket lution calling for a “great interna- protest meeting and its bloody tional demonstration” to take place conclusion after police attacked the following year. The call was a re- sounding success. On 1 May 1890, May Day an eight-hour day, mostly for build- no loss in pay. the workers, wounding most of the demonstrations took place in the Socialist Party national committee ing workers. The employers lost no time in ex- demonstrators, and killing several. United States and most countries in In the autumn of 1885, a lead- ecuting their revenge. The New York It was never established who threw Europe. ing union, the Knights of Labor, Sun, as direct as its modern British the bomb - an ‘anarchist,’ or a police Friedrich Engels joined half a mil- ay Day has been a announced rallies and demonstra- namesake, advocated “a diet of lead ‘agent provocateur.’ At the subse- lion workers in Hyde Park in Lon- public holiday in tions for the following May - on for hungry strikers”! quent trial of the union leaders the don on 3 May, and reported: the UK since 1978. the slogan of “eight hours for work, Two days later, on 3 May, 500 prosecution said it was irrelevant, “As I write these lines, the work- But its real origins eight hours for rest, eight hours for police herded 300 scabs through a and the judge agreed. ing class of Europe and America is lie in the great strug- what we will.” picket line at the Chicago factory of Police raids rounded up hundreds holding a review of its forces; it is gles in America by working people Their radicalism and success farm machinery firm International of union activists throughout the mobilised for the first time as one Mfor shorter working hours at the end in key railroad strikes had led to Harvester. When the pickets resist- country. Eight union leaders were army, under one flag, and fighting of the 19th century, and the martyr- membership growth. From 28,000 ed, the police opened fire and sev- put on trial. Seven of them had not for one immediate aim: an eight- dom of union leaders executed 130 in 1880, the Knights of Labor grew eral workers died. been at the demonstration and the hour working day.” years ago. to 100,000 in 1885. In 1886 they eighth was the speaker on the plat- As workers have emerged from The centre of the movement for mushroomed to nearly 800,000. The Haymarket form, so none of them could have tyranny and repression in whatever an eight-hour working day was Chi- capitalists were increasingly fright- A protest meeting was organised for thrown the bomb. country, they have adopted May cago, where some factories imposed ened at the prospect of widespread the following evening in Haymar- Legality was never the aim of that Day as theirs. Its true history will un- an 18-hour day. An eight-hour law strikes. ket Square. Towards its end, in the trial; revenge was. The Chicago Trib- doubtedly inspire a new generation had actually been passed by the US On 1 May 1886, the first national pouring rain, with only a couple of une of the day gave the game away of socialists, as it has done so often congress in 1868. However, over the general strike in American history hundred workers left, the police ar- with the headline: “Hang an organ- in the past. next 15 years, it was enforced only took place, with 500,000 involved rived to break it up. iser from every lamp-post.” „„ Every year on May Day, the So- twice. in demonstrations across the coun- The meeting had been orderly, The trial began on 21 June. cialist prints messages of solidarity But over that same period workers try. As a direct consequence, tens of but suddenly a bomb was thrown Instead of choosing a jury by pick- from across the workers’ move- began to take matters into their own thousands saw their hours of work into the ranks of the police. Seven ing names from a box - the normal ment. This year, we have a record hands. For example, in 1872 100,000 substantially reduced - in many cas- officers were killed and 66 injured. method - it was rigged by a special 99 greetings across ten pages, rais- workers in New York struck and won es down to an eight-hour day with The police turned their guns on bailiff, nominated by the prosecutor. ing over £5,200 for socialist ideas. theSocialistSocialist11 - 18 April 2013 May Day greetings 2017 theSocialist May Day greetings11 - 18 April 20132017Socialist 4 Workplace Workplace 5 Socialist Party members on the Supporting workers PCS DWP group executive The Professional Trades Union for Prison, in struggle Cardiff and Valleys Send Mayday greetings to the Socialist Re-elect a fighting socialist Left Unity leadership Correctional & Secure Psychiatric Workers Socialist Party

So that we can continue to fight to: branches send lStop austerity Swansea and District solidarity and lStop attacks on jobs and services Rise, like lions after slumber greetings to socialists lStop the DWP office closures Fraternal May Day Greetings NUJ sends May Day lBuild the campaign for the alternative and for a fair, everywhere and to supportive and properly resourced social security greetings. In unvanquishable number! system from the POA NEC all working people Standing up for local fighting against Fran Heathcote Dave Semple news and journalists. Dave Burke Sarah Spencer Cardiff East, Cardiff West austerity, racism and Janice Godrich Carrie-Anne Watkins Mike Rolfe national chair You can’t have local news oppression. John Mcinally Katrine Williams Caerphilly & Newport branches Sian Ruddick Steve Gillan general secretary without local journalists!

Socialist Party MayDay greetings from members in CWU May Day Greetings from May Day greetings Socialist Students. send May Day Socialist Party members on the NSSN greetings to workers around the world Fight fees, fight cuts – for a Swansea Trades Council from PCS Left Unity steering committee send socialist education End the abuse of agency workers May Day greetings system! NEC comrades End offshoring Support the strikes - resist the Tory In memory of our comrade  For the nationalisation of the postal Trade Union Act Bernard Roome, long-time  and telecommunication industries Fighting to defend Trades Council secretary, members and protect CWU activist and Socialist vital public services Party member. Janice Godrich, ‘Firm in principle, PCS Socialist Party members in Equity president May Day greetings to artists and flexible in tactics’ culture workers around the world End unpaid and low-paid work - Socialist Party for a living wage in the arts Solidarity with the garment workers of members in Bangladesh and the green-activists in Fight for ! their fight to save the Sunderbans and the RMT send environment from government sponsored Lee Armstrong corporations. Neil Gore greetings to Deep condolence to the family of Taslima Charlie Hendren transport Aktar who died at her sewing machine of James Ivens cardiac failure following “severe respiratory Aiden James workers around distress” in December 2016. Lily Levin Swansea Socialist Party s b the world The Phulbari Solidarity Group Julian Moore-Cook - supporting TUSC May Day greetings from Socialist Party members on UNISON’s no-cuts candidates “The East is Red” national executive council, health service group executive, and local in this May’s council socialist books government service group executive: (all in a personal capacity) May Day greetings to all workers elections Greetings from the from Tamil Solidarity April Ashley, Vicki Perrin, Jacqui Berry, Hugo Pierre, May Day Unite together against terror,  Eastern region of the Dave Auger, Gary Freeman, Angie Waller, John Malcolm, l Workers of the racism and divisive propaganda Solidarity greetings from Fight all the cuts! greetings! world unite! Socialist Party Helen Couchman, Adrian O’Malley, Steve Bell, Jane Armitage International solidarity Youth Fight for Jobs. £10 hr now! Scrap zero-hour contracts! Solidarity with the lFight the jobs and services slaughter nationally. Branches must not be left to fight cuts alone lLabour councils should set legal no-cuts budgets oppressed - No to lCo-ordinated action to fight 1% pay cap  war and racism! lOppose the Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) Socialist greetings to the labour and lRenationalise the NHS trade union movement around the lDefend attacks on migrant workers - stop divide and rule and the ‘race to the bottom’ world Solidarity lFight for £10 an hour minimum wage  from Usdaw lSupport mass council house building We pledge to continue to provide an Activist The Committee for a Workers’ International lElect a government for the millions not the millionaires efficient service of all publications in – Socialist (CWI), with a presence in nearly 50 countries, print sends warmest greetings to revolutionary socialists Party and workers across the world, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the immortal Russian Revolution, See our website or send for printed lists members in which set the world on fire. Let the 1% tremble as the 99% begins to move against Usdaw them! Socialists worldwide are channelling the anger leftbooks.co.uk of workers and youth into a movement that can transform society, along the lines the Bolsheviks  Solidarity greetings to the  Socialist Party set out to achieve! Defend migrants’ rights PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD Building a Broad Left challenge in Usdaw to Forward to world socialism! Socialist on May Day from branches in St Austell, socialistworld.net No to racist attacks Phone 020 8988 8789 ‘partnership’ policies the Socialist Party disabled Plymouth, Exeter and  For shop workers’ rights not retailers’ profits Torbay & Devon Unite to fight the bosses people and carers’ group Fax 020 8988 8787 theSocialist May Day greetings 2017 theSocialist May Day greetings 2017

Southern  Solidarity with all those internationally fighting capitalist austerity, racism and war  Celebrate the Bolshevik victory of 1917 and build a mass party for worldwide socialism!  From Socialist Party members and supporters in Aylesbury, Basingstoke, Bracknell, Isle of Wight, Oxford, Reading, Portsmouth, Southampton and Staines

May Day greetings from Hull TUC  May Day  Victory to greetings the Jobstown from Hull NUT protesters  Teachers of the Fraternal greetings Unite the Union from Hull GEO25 world unite  Direct employment for all  Victory  You have nothing and solidarity with the construction workers to workers Jobstown defendants  No to bogus self-employment to lose but your  Defend and expand ‘NAECI’ in struggle workload - GMB Beverley branch our national agreement everywhere

 May Day greetings from Southampton City Friends of Leeds Labour Councillor Keith Morrell  Greetings to the Socialist  For a democratic, anti- austerity Labour Party

 No ifs no buts  Let’s fight the education cuts Bracknell Unite  Socialist Students at Solent, members send Southampton, Portsmouth, May Day Greetings Reading and Oxford universities Leeds University and  Defend local authority to socialists Beckett Socialist Students services and jobs! everywhere! From the Edmund Street day  South Yorkshire centre campaign in Bradford, Greetings solidarity to comrades in other Freedom Riders from campaigns who are still fighting  Fighting for free May Day greetings from Yorkshire like ourselves for better and Youth Fight for Jobs Calderdale decent conditions for the local train travel for  Scrap zero-hour contracts Trade Union  For a £10 an hour minimum wage homeless people of this city everyone over 60  Unionise the unorganised Council theSocialistSocialist11 - 18 April 2013 May Day greetings 2017 theSocialist May Day greetings11 - 18 April 20132017Socialist 4 Workplace Workplace 5 MAY DAY GREETINGS TO WORKERS OF THE May Day greetings Waltham Forest Socialist Party WORLD FROM HACKNEY COUNCIL WORKERS sends its solidarity and May Day from greetings to all workers, and Solidarity from AND HACKNEY TRADES COUNCIL MEMBERS Haringey supporters in Usdaw thanks the Socialist newspaper Camden RMT no 3 east London retail ■ VICTORY TO THE PICTURE HOUSE WORKERS AND ALL Hillingdon & for the coverage in its pages of the ■ Workers of the world branch WORKERS IN STRUGGLE Enfield ‘Butterfields Won’t Budge’ campaign. Secretary: Richard Socialist Party! The Butterfields tenants’ victory Peter Coleman - Unison private sector ■ Martin Cootes - Unison and unite Groves admin Hackney local government branch ■ Sandra Hall - NUT teaches us an important lesson: ■ NO TO DOO Chair: Scott Jones secretary ■ Clementina Anya - Unison libraries ■ Margret Sinn Camden when we organise and fight back - - Unison libraries ■ Steve Edwards - Unite convenor ■ Norman Saggers - adults and childrens convenor ■ Karen Lynn - joint Socialist Party we can win! branch secretary, Unison ■ Andy Clifford - steward, parks Unison Greetings to the workers ■ Dionne Thompson - education convener Unison ■ Marvin of the world in their Hay - steward Unison ■ Meriyam Abdul - Unison ■ Sharmila May Day Thyagarajan - Unison ■ Osei Mensah - libraries ■ Brian Debus - struggles against Hackney branch chair, Unison ■ Lee Ray - joint branch secretary Unison capitalism greetings from ■ Jean Howard - Unison service centre ■ Ger Mason - Unison Socialist ■ Doug Holton - Equity, Hackney trades council ■ Mick Gosling NUJ London magazine branch treasurer, Hackney Trades Council from West London Party

nujlmb.org.uk This advert sponsored by all of the above in a personal capacity Socialist Party branch members Tower East ■ Save all Hamlets the West Socialist London London Solidarity from Lambeth and South Party Socialist Hospitals West London Socialist Party Party and social services Choose a properly funded NHS GPM&IT London print branch ■ Unite Choose genuinely ■ May Day greetings to all celebrating the centenary year of the all the affordable homes Southwark Choose free, life- greatest event in international workers’ history, the 1917 October Comradely greetings from all reps and activists campaigns against cuts and Socialist job losses long education for all Greenwich Russian Revolution Choose a publicly owned transport system Party ■ Campaigning to keep Unite a fighting left union at Greenwich Unite branch 1/2050, Choose to cherish the environment Socialist Choose to fight back against austerity Party and a Sun free zone fighting for jobs and services in Greenwich and Lewisham ■ Unity, solidarity, internationalism Choose to oppose all racism and sexism in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters in Choose a planet free of poverty and war Socialist Choose the fight for a socialist world Chair: Mick Cotter Secretary: Tommy Murphy Party struggle everywhere Choose right. Choose the Socialist Party

Solidarity from AFC Militant (Socialist Party XI). Kick the fat cats out of football! Reclaim the game!

Solidarity from Socialist Students at Wanstead Sixth Form and City Want to get involved, or if you are in a team that wants to take us on, email & Islington college [email protected] Greetings from Cu vi volas babili kun homoj May Day tra la tuta mondo pri social- greetings Socialist Students ismo? Lernu Esperanton! from at Kings College Do you want to chat with Goldsmiths London people all over the world Socialist about socialism? Learn Esperanto! Students > You can find out more at lernu.net and esperanto.org.uk Peter Redfarn Waltham Forest Trades Council sends May Day greetings to “When the management don’t come into work nobody workers fighting back everywhere notices and we just carry on. When workers don’t come into work everybody notices because nothing gets done” We say: - a Whipps Cross porter ■ Decent homes for all! ■ Defend the NHS! ■ Stop the attacks on the unemployed! ■ Get the greedy privateers off our backs ■ Don’t let the racists divide us! ■ Renationalise all privatised public services ■ For a fully funded, democratically In 1917 Russian workers and peasants accountable Socialist NHS overthrew the capitalists and landlords. Workers of the world May Day greetings from Whipps Cross hospital Socialist Party members and can do it again! supporters theSocialistSocialist11 - 18 April 2013 May Day greetings 2017 theSocialist May Day greetings11 - 18 April 20132017Socialist 4 Workplace Workplace 5

Socialist greetings from the Socialist Party’s South East region - Brighton, Medway, Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover

Salford Against The Cuts JJ May Day greetings from Fighting ALL Cuts Liverpool 47 group of socialist councillors 1983-87 Labour: we need anti-austerity actions as well as words! Greetings to all readers of the Socialist from Who still stand as a magnificent example to those Labour councils who carry out every cut demanded by the Tories. We refused to cut and fought back Medway Trade Union Council successfully for resources which Thatcher had stolen from Liverpool. We call on Jeremy Corbyn to empower the membership to deselect right-wing „„ MPs and call on Labour councillors to vote against cuts. No to austerity „„ No to racism Our record includes: „ „„5,000 new houses built „ Defend the NHS „„6 new sports centres „„2,000 new jobs and existing jobs saved „„£60 million won back from the Tories J We say NO to the capitalist EU and YES to solidarity of the J Brighton Unemployed European working class May Day greetings from Unite Onward to a new mass party of the working class Workers Centre Ltd branch NW/127404 Merseyside Brings May Day greetings to all those fighting poverty, racism, imperialism ad oppression. Oppose all benefit cuts JJ Coventry TUC sends Civil Engineering and attacks on the employed and May Day solidarity for 2017 unemployed. We say: „„ „„ Oppose all attacks on claimants, Solidarity greetings from Salford TUSC Join us for our rally: ‘Shout out against Fighting for better terms and disabled people and the low-paid Merseyside austerity conditions in the construction „„ No to privatisation and PFI Fighting Cuts and Supporting Workers in Struggle 11 am Saturday 29 April at Broadgate, „„ No to imperialism’s wars Coventry City Centre with John sector „„ Fighting poverty amidst plenty McInally vice-president PCS, plus local „„ Against bogus self employment, „„ For international socialism Pensioners’ speakers. umbrella companies and Bill North - chairperson Socialist Party Andy Richards - secretary “Workers of the world unite; you have blacklisting Tony Greenstein - treasurer supporters in Salford City Association nothing to lose but your chains” 4 Crestway Parade, The Crestway, Unison Brighton BN1 7BL, 01273 540 717 Send May Day greetings Greetings to all those to trade unionists fighting austerity everywhere from Merseyside BOLTON Campaigning for legal Pensioners’ TRADES no-cuts budgets Association COUNCIL 1866-2016 May Day greetings from RMT Birmingham rail JJ the West Midlands region branch sends greetings Pendleton Happy May Day from of the Socialist Party PRESTON EMERALD CELTIC Bolton Trades Council to all workers fighting to SUPPORTERS CLUB Students Collective, Unison members who protect and improve their sends May Day greetings Salford read the Socialist in jobs, pay and conditions. Preston Emerald Celtic Supporters to trade unionists Sends May Day Coventry - fight for Full support to the guards send solidarity greetings to all trade everywhere. greetings to students and drivers who are Fight austerity! and workers everywhere socialism! fighting to keep the guard unionists and socialists on the train. Solidarity! Save the NHS! theSocialistSocialist11 - 18 April 2013 May Day greetings 2017 theSocialist May Day greetings11 - 18 April 20132017Socialist 4 Workplace Workplace 5

Solidarity with South West our brothers and sisters in Derby TUSC struggle from supporters Socialist Party PCS members in Leicestershire

In the centenary year of the great Russian revolution we send May Day greetings to all sections of the CWI and to the workers of the world We echo Lenin’s words upon his arrival in Petrograd in April 1917: “There is one, and only one, kind 1/16 PAGE of internationalism in deed; working wholeheartedly for the development of the revolutionary move- ment and the revolutionary struggle in one’s own country and supporting (by propaganda, sympathy 62 x 73mm 100 years since the and material aid) such, and only such, a struggle and such a line in every country without exception.”  Solidarity Bolshevik revolution Leicester We remain guided by Trotsky’s approach that: “It is not enough for a revolutionist to have correct greetings from ideas. Correct ideas have already been set down in Capital and the Communist Manifesto. But that Long live Lenin and Nottingham has not prevented false ideas from being broadcast. It is the task of the party to weld together the Trotsky and the LEYH Unite correct ideas with the mass labour movement. Only in this manner can an idea become a driving Bolsheviks as we force.” (June 1934) £50 (£37.50) approach the dawn of lift and escalator Fighting for workers’ rights and organising for socialism in Bristol, Gloucester, Stroud, Cheltenham, Lydney, Taunton, Swindon, Warminster, Exeter, Exmouth, Sidmouth, Torquay, Paignton, Brixham, Teignmouth, Plymouth, Bristol South - May Day greetings Bill and Marilyn Buchanan branch St. Austell, Truro, Penzance, Poole, Bournemouth and Weymouth.