Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

Events for May Day 2007

 

Tuesday 1st May 5pm

A reading of International May Day messages at the Eight Hour Monument.

 

Thursday 3rd May 5pm

Wreath Laying Ceremony

At the 8 Hour monument a brief ceremony to commemorate workers’ struggles.

 

Friday 4th May 7pm

Multicultural Event

Speakers and Cultural items hosted by a number of ethnic groups.  Followed by a Multicultural supper. The event takes place at Trades Hall.

 

Sunday 6th May

Family Festival & May Day March

Festivities begin at 12pm in Lygon St outside Trades Hall.

 

The May Day March assembles at 1pm on the corner of Victoria and Russell Sts, opposite Trades Hall, and then moves through the city and back to Lygon St.  Speakers, activities, stalls.

 

[This day is a joint exercise between the Victorian Trades Hall Council Executive and the Melbourne May Day Committee.]

 
May Day A Brief History

The International Labour Day called May Day, actually originated in the United States in 1884 at a Conference of U.S. and Canadian Trade Unions.

The conference decided to launch an intensive campaign for the 8-hour day and to culminate the struggle on May 1st 1888.  (The 8 hour day was first achieved anywhere in the world in 1856 in Melbourne Australia on the 21st April).


This campaign led to a bitter struggle.  There were 1572 strikes involving 600,000 workers leading up to the May 1st demonstrations. Over half a million workers took part in the May 1st activities.  Six workers were killed, 200 injured, others framed and hanged.

Subsequently at an International Labour Congress in Paris a resolution was carried to declare May 1st 1890 a great day of workers International demonstrations throughout the world. Australian delegates were at this conference.

In Victoria the Day was marked by a meeting at the Trades Hall Council.  It was later decided to celebrate International May Day by the holding of a march on the first Sunday of every May calling for better wages, working and living conditions, the end to imperialist wars and for Socialism.

May Day marches in Victoria started in 1893 and continued up to today, except for 1941 and 1942 when May Day celebrations were banned by the Menzie’s Government.


From time to time Australian trade unions and other progressive groups have held marches on the actual day May 1st falls (e.g. 2001, 2002 in Melbourne).

The Melbourne May Day Committee has continually made representations to the State Government to declare May 1st a public holiday, but only public awareness, support and pressure will finally achieve this demand.



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