May Day, Labour Day, is intended to celebrate the memory of past struggles for workers’ rights and to support the achievements made. It all began in 1866 in Chicago (Illinois), following a huge strike called by workers to demand more acceptable working conditions. As a result, the law limiting the working day to eight hours was passed for the first time, officially coming into force on May Day 1867.
Lasting three days and claiming the lives of 11 people (the Haymarket Riot) among Protestant workers and some police officers, the strike in the United States became an event of such magnitude and resonance that, starting in 1890, the anniversary spread internationally.
Today, more than 80 countries celebrate Labour Day, and some of them choose to celebrate it at different times of the year. Switzerland and Australia, for example, where it depends on the cantons for the former and on the states and territories for the latter, and the United States itself, which, together with Canada, celebrates it on the first Monday in September.
This year, we at Finking have decided to celebrate by taking the whole week off until Friday. See you on Monday!
