AU mayday 1856?

David in Atlanta ""crude reductionist version of marxism""
Posts: 1632 Joined: 21-04-06
Submitted by David in Atlanta on 16 May, 2008 - 17:08.

I just ran across an article by Rosa Luxemburg on the history of mayday as a working class political observance saying the custom originated in Australia in 1856. I'd always thought we had that honor in North America with the 1886 strike. Anyone know more?
http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1894/02/may-day.htm

playinghob
Posts: 247 Joined: 05-05-07
16 May, 2008 - 19:30

It's kind of true. May Day as workers day is as we generally understand it to be , following from 1886. But the struggle for the 8-hour day was actually won in both Australia and New Zealand earlier than this, 1856 and 1857 respectively. As I understand it, Australian Workers Day was April 26. Now , I dont know if the Aussie workers, for some strange reason moved their Workers Day to May 1st in a kind of clarvoyant way, anticipating the events that would unfold 30 years on. But I reckon Rosa just lumped them together in her 1894 essay, in an attempt to divert any acknowledgement of anarchist involvement in the 8-hour day movement, and indeed Workers Day on May 1st. (Generally Marxists tend to 'overlook' any anarchist involvement in the workers movement)

David in Atlanta ""crude reductionist version of marxism""
Posts: 1632 Joined: 21-04-06
16 May, 2008 - 21:52
playinghob wrote:
. (Generally Marxists tend to 'overlook' any anarchist involvement in the workers movement)

Interesting, thanks. I've noticed that myself about Marxists. smile also of course possible Rosa made a boo-boo.