Pan-African Institute for Socialism on International Worker’s Day 2023
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The struggles of working people for better working conditions, rights, and social justice continues to this day. This International Worker’s Day, all workers must come together across the lines of affiliation to demand change from employers and governments. Even as the labour movement emerged from the shadow of exploitation and industrialization, today we face new threats wearing the same visage of anti-worker practices and legislation. Increasing automation has increased worker productivity, but instead of this allowing workers more time to do what they will, unchecked capitalism demands more from each and every worker, with fewer protections in law and on the floor.
The 8-hour workday
In the industrial revolution a pauperized class was created to serve as fodder for the machines. Great ghettos sprung up, bent to the will of the industrialists who created precarity among the common person, a tool of exploitation. The deal was simple – work, or starve. Men, women, and even children were subjected to the rule of this new kind of overseer, the wage slaver.
With few legal rights or protections, low wages, and squalid and unsafe working conditions, the labour movement sought to change this situation by organizing workers into unions, advocating for reforms that would benefit all working people. The call for an 8-hour workday became a central goal of the labour movement.
The International Workingmen’s Association brought the demand for an 8-hour working day to its congress in 1866, where it was said “The legal limitation of the working day is a preliminary condition without which all further attempts at improvements and emancipation of the working class must prove abortive”, and “The Congress proposes eight hours as the legal limit of the working day.”
In Das Kapital, Karl Marx wrote “By extending the working day, therefore, capitalist production…not only produces a deterioration of human labour power by robbing it of its normal moral and physical conditions of development and activity, but also produces the premature exhaustion and death of this labour power itself”
The 8-hour workday was the discussed by the International Labor Organization, which resulted in the “Hours of Work (Industry) Convention of 1819, ratified by 52 countries as of 2016.
“Hardcore mode”
Despite these wins, industrialists have always fought back against reforms that serve to mitigate exploitative practices. Even to this day, workers are disposable, unions are cracked down on, and workers rights are infringed on with impunity. It’s no co-incidence that two of the world’s richest people are the exploiters-in-chief of the working class. The world’s richest man at the time of publication, Jeff Bezos with a fortune of $128,5 billion, sits atop a corporation that exploits workers to the point where their movements are monitored by tracking devices, unions are busted, and even toilet breaks are perilous to the livelihood of the workers. Elon Musk, the second richest man, exploits workers at Tesla and Twitter, makes demands of a workforce that includes working in “hardcore mode“, where workers sleep in offices, are prepared to work up to 20-hour days, and are prepared to be dispensed with at a moments notice. Victories against mega corporations, including Tesla, Amazon, Starbucks and others are few and far between, and even though this is exploitation and discontent is fertile ground to sow the seeds of labour union organizing, trade union membership dropped to record lows in 2022, despite the labour movement having the highest approval rating in decades.
Capitalism fights back volume 1 – The Haymarket Affair
The Haymarket affair was a pivotal event in the history of the labour movement and a defining moment for the struggle for workers’ rights and social justice. The events of May 4th, 1886 in Chicago, Illinois began as a peaceful rally in support of the eight-hour workday, but turned violent resulting in the death of one police officer and injuries to others. The authorities responded by arresting and prosecuting eight labour leaders, who became known as the Haymarket martyrs.
There was never any evidence that the eight people arrested had any culpability. The trial of the Haymarket martyrs was a highly politicized affair, with the defendants being charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The prosecution relied heavily on anti-labour sentiment and the prevailing climate of fear and anxiety surrounding the labour movement at the time. The trial was widely criticized for its unfairness and lack of due process, and the defendants became symbols of the struggle for workers’ rights and social justice.
On November 11th, 1887, four of the Haymarket martyrs were hanged, while one committed suicide in his cell. Two others were later pardoned, and the remaining defendant had his sentence commuted to life in prison. The executions sparked outrage and protests around the world, and the Haymarket affair became a rallying cry for the labour movement.
In 1889, the Second International, a federation of socialist and labour parties, declared May 1st as International Workers’ Day in honour of the Haymarket martyrs. The aim of the declaration was to create a day of international solidarity among workers, and to demand the implementation of the 8-hour workday. May Day soon became an important day for workers and the labour movement around the world, with demonstrations and protests taking place in cities across Europe and the United States.
Capitalism fights back volume 2 – The Marikana Massacre
On the 16th of August 2012 in Marikana, a mining town in South Africa, police opened fire on a group of striking miners who were protesting for better wages and working conditions. The shooting resulted in the deaths of 34 miners and left many others injured.
The events leading up to the Marikana massacre began on August 10, 2012, when thousands of miners at the Lonmin platinum mine went on strike to demand higher wages. The strike quickly turned violent, with clashes between police, security forces, and striking miners. On August 16, police gathered around a group of striking miners who had gathered on a hillside near the mine. After several attempts to disperse the crowd failed, the police opened fire on the protesters, killing 34 and injuring many others.
The Marikana massacre was a shocking event that shocked the nation and the world, and it was widely condemned as a brutal and disproportionate use of force against unarmed protesters. The South African government established a commission of inquiry to investigate the events leading up to the massacre, which found that the police had acted improperly and recommended that the officers involved be held accountable.
The Marikana massacre has had a profound impact on South African society, and it continues to be a powerful symbol of the struggles of workers and marginalized communities in the country. The event has sparked renewed debates about labour rights, economic inequality, and police brutality in South Africa, and has galvanized a new generation of activists and social justice advocates.
Building the labour movement of the future
One of the key issues facing the labour movement today is the growing inequality in the workplace and the economy as a whole, with black people, women, and workers in the global south facing the most impoverishment and the poorest conditions. Workers in many industries are struggling to make ends meet, with low wages, limited benefits, and little job security. Meanwhile, the top 1% of earners continue to accumulate wealth and power at an alarming rate.
To address these issues, the labour movement must keep working to organize and empower workers, particularly in low-wage industries such as fast food, retail, and hospitality. Unions and advocacy groups are also pushing for policies such as a higher minimum wage, paid sick leave, and stronger protections for workers’ rights.
Another major challenge facing the labour movement is the changing nature of work itself. The rise of the gig economy and proliferation of temporary and contract work have made it more difficult for workers to organize and secure basic protections such as healthcare and retirement benefits.
In addition to these ongoing struggles, the labour movement is also facing new challenges in the digital age. Advances in technology have transformed the way we work, communicate, and organize, and have created new opportunities and risks for workers and labour activists. Technological advances in fields such as artificial intelligence have also made jobs more precarious than ever before.
To adapt to these changes, the labour movement must explore new strategies and tactics, such as online organizing, social media outreach, and digital campaigns. These efforts seek to harness the power of technology to build stronger, more effective labour organizations and advocate for workers’ rights in the digital age.
Despite these challenges, the labour movement remains a vital force for social change and workers’ rights. From the fight for an 8-hour workday to the struggles of today, the labour movement has been at the forefront of efforts to create a more just and equitable society.
As we celebrate International Workers’ Day on May 1st, it is important to remember the legacy of those who came before us and to renew our commitment to the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights and social justice. Whether through union organizing, advocacy, or community-based campaigns, each of us has a role to play in building a more equitable and just society for all.
May Day is a reminder of the importance of collective action and solidarity in the fight for workers’ rights and social justice, and serves as a call to action for all of us to do our part in building a more just and equitable society.
