In the 1800’s the struggle for fair labour with shorter workdays for the working class became a constant battle which was finally resolved, and an 8-hour work day was implemented on 01 May 1886 by the Federation of Organized Trades in America and Canada. Today there are about 80 countries honouring May Day and what it represents.
Robert Owen of England, the Utopian socialist raised a ten-hour day demand in 1810 and this was only granted to children and women in 1847. In France workers demanded for a 12-hour day after the February revolution of 1848. In 1891, May day was celebrated for the first time in Russia, Brazil and Ireland.
In South Africa, on 1 May 1986 (the 100th anniversary of May Day was commemorated in other countries) the Congress of South African Trade Unions called for a stay-away, demanding that May Day must be recognised as a public holiday. More than 1.5 million workers rallied in all major cities. Premier Foods was the first large employer who declared 1 May a paid public holiday and a few other companies followed. After the first democratic elections in 1994, 1 May was inaugurated as an official national public holiday.
