The world celebrates Labor Day on May 1st.

Tripoli, May 1, 2025 (WAL) – Today, Thursday, May 1, marks International Workers' Day, an annual holiday celebrated by workers around the world. This date was chosen to commemorate the fallen workers and labor leaders who called for an eight-hour workday and improved working conditions.

The origin of this holiday can be traced back to the strike that took place in Chicago, USA, in 1886, during a period when the United States and several European countries were undergoing a transition from capitalism to imperialism. During that period, capitalists sought to increase working hours and intensity to rapidly advance the economy, leading to severe exploitation of workers, who worked 14 to 16 hours a day for meager wages.

This exploitation angered workers, who realized that their union and struggle through strikes were the only way to improve their living conditions. They raised the slogan: "The Eight-Hour Work System."

In 1877, the first major labor strike began in America, with workers organizing massive demonstrations and taking to the streets to demand better working and living conditions. In October 1884, eight Canadian and American unions met in Chicago and decided to go on a general strike on May 1, 1886, to pressure employers to implement the eight-hour workday.

On that day, approximately 350,000 workers in more than 20,000 American factories walked off the job and took to the streets in a massive demonstration that paralyzed several major factories. The government attempted to suppress the protests by force, sparking labor struggles around the world. Workers in Europe and other continents embarked on a series of consecutive strikes. A month later, the U.S. government was forced to effectively implement the eight-hour workday.

In June 1889, the International Socialist Congress of Deputies opened in Paris, France, where it was decided to declare May 1 of each year a common holiday for all proletarians worldwide. On this day in 1890, workers in America and Europe organized massive demonstrations to celebrate the success of their struggle, and thus "International Workers' Day" was born.

... (LANA) ....