May Day or International Workers’ Day, is observed on 1^st May every year to commemorate the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, and is recognized in most of the countries world over.

The heart of the labour movement was in Chicago, USA.   In 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions passed a resolution stating that eight hours should constitute a day’s work legally from May 1, 1886. The resolution called for a general strike to achieve this goal. The workers were being forced to work more than twelve hours a day.  By April 1886, more than 2 lakh workers were involved in the May Day movement.

The Government then was terrified by the increasing revolutionary nature of the movement and prepared accordingly.  By 1^st May, the movement got momentum.  OnMay 3, 1886, police fired into a crowd of strikers at the McCormick Reaper Works Factory, killing four and wounding many. The agitators called for a mass meeting the next day in Haymarket Square to protest the brutality. The Chicago Police marched into the square and ordered the meeting to disperse and eventually opened fire on the demonstrators killing several workers.

The World over May Day has  been a focal point for demonstrations by various communist and socialist movement groups. In effect, May Day has of late been a celebration, rather than a commemoration. May Day is an important official holiday in communist countries like Russia, China and Cuba. May Day is generally marked by street rallies, meetings and demonstrations by trade unions and parties with socialist ideologies. The first May Day celebration in India was organized in Madras ( now Chennai) by theLabour Kisan Party on  1^st May, 1923. This was perhaps the first time that red flag was used in the country.