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66-467: The Argentine Regional Workers' Federation (Spanish: Federación Obrera Regional Argentina ; abbreviated FORA ), founded in 1901 (123 years ago)  ( 1901 ) , was Argentina's first national labor confederation . It split into two wings in 1915, the larger of which merged into the Argentine Syndicates' Union  [ es ] (USA) in 1922, while the smaller slowly disappeared in

132-623: A general strike in the United States, which had begun on 1 May 1886 and culminated in the Haymarket affair four days later. The demonstration subsequently became a yearly event. The 1904 Sixth Conference of the Second International , called on "all Social Democratic Party organisations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on the First of May for the legal establishment of

198-633: A general strike. In November of the same year, the Buenos Aires dock workers gained the nine-hour-day. The most important strike of this year, that of the fruit handlers, was about to involve the whole membership of the FOA at the height of the harvest, but the government passed the Residence Law —which allowed the expulsion of subversive foreigners—to break it. In 1903 and 1904, Argentina saw no less than twelve general strikes and many more at individual plants, with

264-470: A mass stoppage as part of the eight-hour workday movement. It became a yearly commemoration, inspiring American workers to have their first stoppage. 1 May was chosen to be International Workers' Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago . In that year beginning on 1 May, there was a general strike for the eight-hour workday. On 4 May, the police acted to disperse a public assembly in support of

330-406: A newspaper launched in 1897 that bolstered the pro-union anarchists' cause, Pellicer Paraire argued for a dual organizational structure for anarchists, composed of a labor federation and a specifically anarchist political organization. The extent of anarchism's influence in the labor movement is disputed: Ronaldo Munck claims that the "dominant tendency in the labour movement was [...] represented by

396-663: A number of organizations regarded as conservative, such as the African Teachers' Association of South Africa , the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce , and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa, an organization that represented employers in the metal industries. More than 1,500,000 workers observed the call and stayed home, as did thousands of students, taxi drivers, vendors, shopkeepers, domestic workers, and self-employed people. In

462-479: A particular ideology. During the first year of the FOA's existence, disagreements between socialists and anarchists continued. The founding congress had decided that La Organización was to serve as the Federation's official organ, but then the newspaper's socialist editors refused to allow this. In September, the twelve socialist-oriented unions in charge of the newspaper declared that they regretted having agreed to

528-784: A peak at 30,000 members in 1906. In 1909, however, its moderate wing left the organization to found the Argentine Regional Workers' Confederation (CORA) with syndicalists from the UGT. At the First International Syndicalist Congress in London in 1913, both the FORA and the CORA were represented. Because the FORA could not afford the long trip and because of a lack of time, it did not send a delegate of its own, but gave its mandate to

594-574: A public holiday and celebrated as Labour Day. In South Africa , Workers' Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on 1 May each year since 1995. Workers' Day started to get more attention by African workers in 1928, which saw thousands of workers in a mass march. In 1950, the South African Communist Party called for a strike on 1 May in response to the Suppression of Communism Act declaring it illegal. Police violence caused

660-528: A resolution to bar any individuals holding posts in political parties from doing so in the union federation as well, it now collaborated with socialist party politicians. The founding of the Bolshevist Red International of Labor Unions (RILU) in 1920 caused serious discussions within both FORA organizations. Five out of fifteen committee members quit their positions after the FORA IX refused to join

726-503: Is a public holiday celebrated as Labour Day. It was celebrated for the first time in Mauritius on 1 May 1938, and for the first time as an official public holiday on 1 May 1950. This was thanks largely to the efforts of Guy Rozemont, Dr. Maurice Curé, Pandit Sahadeo and Emmanuel Anquetil, as a day of special significance for Mauritian workers who for many years had struggled for their social, political and economic rights. In Morocco , 1 May

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792-605: Is a public holiday celebrated on 1 May. 1 May is known as Labour Day and is a holiday. By custom, it is usually the day on which wage increases (e.g., the national minimum wage) and other labour improvements are announced by the Government. In recent years it was also the day chosen by the Bolivian government to announce the (re)nationalization of strategic sectors of the economy (e.g. hydrocarbons in 2006, telecommunications in 2008, electricity in 2010, etc.). In Brazil , "Workers' Day"

858-489: Is a public holiday on the first Monday in May. 1 May is a national holiday known as Labour Day and celebrated by workers' parades and demonstration. In Ecuador, 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day. People do not go to work and spend time with their relatives or gather for demonstrations. 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day. 1 May is an official public holiday known as Labour Day. 1 May

924-460: Is a public holiday on the first Monday in May. In Argentina , Workers' Day is an official holiday on 1 May, and is frequently associated with labour unions. Celebrations related to labour are held including demonstrations in major cities. The first Workers' Day celebration was in 1890, when Argentinian unions organized several celebrations in Buenos Aires and other cities, at the same time that

990-582: Is an important day of trade union and community group protest in the province of Quebec (though not a provincial statutory holiday ). Celebration of the International Labour Day (or "International Workers' Day"; French : Journée internationale des travailleurs ) in Montreal goes back to 1906, organized by the Mutual Aid circle. The tradition had a renaissance at the time of a mass strike in 1972. On

1056-483: Is an official holiday celebrated on 1 May, and unions commemorate it with day-long public events. In Canada, Labour Day is celebrated in September. In 1894, the government of Prime Minister John Sparrow David Thompson declared the first Monday in September as Canada's official Labour Day. Labor Day in the United States is on the same day. International Workers' Day is however marked by unions and leftists on 1 May. It

1122-454: Is known as Labour Day and is considered a paid holiday . The President of Egypt traditionally presides over the celebrations. In Ethiopia , 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as Worker's Day. 1 May is a holiday in Ghana . It is a day to celebrate all workers across the country. It is celebrated with a parade by trade unions and labour associations. The parades are normally addressed by

1188-562: Is recognized as a public holiday. Mozambique celebrates International Workers' Day on 1 May. 1 May is recognized as public holiday in Namibia and celebrated as Workers' Day. Since 1981, 1 May is a public holiday in Nigeria . On the day, people gather while, traditionally, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress and other politicians address workers. In Somalia , 1 May is

1254-627: Is the date of the European spring festival of May Day . The International Workers Congress held in Paris in 1889 established the Second International for labor, socialist, and Marxist parties. It adopted a resolution for a "great international demonstration" in support of working-class demands for the eight-hour day . The 1 May date was chosen by the American Federation of Labor to commemorate

1320-651: The President of Costa Rica gives a speech to the citizens and the legislature of Costa Rica about the duties that were undertaken through the previous year. The president of the legislature is also chosen by its members. This day is known as Labour Day in Cuba. People march in the streets, showing their support to the Cuban Communist government and the Cuban Revolution during the whole morning. In Dominica , Labour Day

1386-595: The Socialist Party and to employ boycotts in labor disputes. The moderates formed the General Workers' Union (UGT) as a rival union federation in 1903. A cycle of class struggles from 1902 to 1908 followed the formation of the FOA. This wave of strikes was not so much a result of the labor movement's ideology as of increased immigration and rising costs of living. A 1902 strike by the stevedores in Rosario turned into

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1452-784: The Soviet Union and attended by the top leaders of the Kremlin , especially the Politburo , atop Lenin's Mausoleum . It became an enduring symbol of that period. In Poland , since 1982, party leaders led the official parades. In Hungary, May Day was officially celebrated under the communist rule, and remains a public holiday. Traditionally, the day was marked by dancing around designated "May trees". Some factories in socialist countries were named in honour of International Workers' Day, such as 1 Maja Coal Mine in Wodzisław Śląski , Poland. In East Germany ,

1518-536: The state militia fired on a crowd of strikers killing seven, including a schoolboy and a man feeding chickens in his yard. In 1889, the first meeting of the Second International was held in Paris , following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne  [ fr ] that called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests. On 1 May 1890, the call encouraged May Day demonstrations took place in

1584-494: The 1880s and 1890s, the anarchist movement in Argentina was divided on the question of participation in the labor movement. The anti-organizers claimed that such participation would cause anarchists to lose their revolutionary edge and become embroiled in reformism. The pro-organizers viewed unions as a weapon in the class struggle. During his 1885–1889 visit to Argentina, Errico Malatesta , an anarchist of international renown, bridged

1650-515: The 1880s. In 1882, Matthew Maguire , a machinist , first proposed a Labor Day holiday on the first Monday of September while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York. Others argue that it was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor in May 1882, after witnessing the annual labour festival held in Toronto , Canada . In 1887, Oregon

1716-407: The 1920s. With its cautious and pragmatic approach, the FORA IX grew rapidly. Though figures are generally unreliable, it claimed a membership of 100,000 to 120,000 by 1919. In a time of economic recession and falling wages, as the result of World War I, it was more intent on defending past achievements, rather than starting risky struggles. During a railway strike in 1917, the FORA V decided to go on

1782-417: The 1930s. From the second half of the 19th century up to around 1920, Argentina experienced rapid economic growth and industrial expansion, becoming a world economic power. Foreign capital was the driving force for this development, with 92% of the workshops and factories in 1887 being owned by non-Argentines, according to a census. Similarly, most of the workers in this period were immigrants; 84% according to

1848-408: The 1973 Labour Day, the first contemporary demonstration was organized by the major trade union confederations; over 30,000 trade unionists took part in this demonstration. Further, it is the customary date on which the minimum wage rises. President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo decreed 1 May a national holiday in 1931, in honour of the dignity of workers. All stores and public services must close for

1914-535: The FOA being involved in many of them. At the 1903 FOA May Day demonstration, a clash with police left two dead and twenty-four wounded. At a bakers' strike in Rosario, one worker was shot by police. At the FOA's fifth congress in 1905, it renamed itself FORA, the Argentine Regional Workers' Federation, to express its anti-nationalism . It also passed a resolution declaring "[t]hat it advises and recommends

1980-495: The FORA V also joined. Having the support of socialists, communists, and syndicalists, the USA was more radical than the FORA IX and therefore joined neither the social democratic International Federation of Trade Unions nor the RILU. Meanwhile, the anarchist FORA V was in steady decline. It was dissolved shortly before the installation of José Félix Uriburu 's military dictatorship. This FORA

2046-439: The Federation taking over their publication. The coming-together of anarchists with socialists and moderates ended after one year. At the FOA's second congress, a dispute over the admission of delegates who were not members of the unions they represented escalated into chaotic and angry shouting and the moderates left. The socialists' departure left the anarchists in full control of the Federation. They decided to end cooperation with

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2112-406: The First of May for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace." The congress made it "mandatory upon the proletarian organisations of all countries to stop work on 1 May, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers." In the United States and Canada, a September holiday, called Labor or Labour Day , was first proposed in

2178-658: The Haymarket affair, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) called for the government to establish an official holiday on 1 May. It also called for workers to stay home from work that day. COSATU was joined by a number of prominent anti- apartheid organizations, including the National Education Crisis Committee and the United Democratic Front (South Africa) . The call was also supported by

2244-583: The Italian Alceste De Ambris . The FORA considered the congress a great success and was confident it would lead to the founding of a "purely worker and anti-statist" international . The FORA's ninth congress, in April 1915, reversed the avowal to anarcho-communism of the fifth. It did not "pronounce itself officially favorable to, nor advise the adoption of, philosophical systems or determined ideologies", effectively renouncing anarchist communism. The move

2310-630: The President) address the workers. Each year, the government approves (and increases) the minimum wage on Labour Day. In Libya , International Workers' Day was declared a national public holiday by the National Transitional Council in 2012 the first year of the post-Qaddafi era. On 1 May 1978, then Libyan leader Colonel Mu'ammar Al-Qaddafi addressed the nation in the capital city of Tripoli calling for administrative and also economic reforms across Libya . In Mauritius , 1 May

2376-537: The RILU at its January 1921 conference, and the FORA V was split between a pro and an anti-Bolshevik wing before the latter faction was expelled from the union in 1921. In 1921 workers with FORA were killed in the La Forestral massacre . Following lengthy negotiations between the FORA IX and a number of hitherto independent trade unions, the Argentine Syndicates' Union (USA) was founded in March 1922. The pro-Bolshevists from

2442-460: The Second International. May Day is one of the most important holidays in communist countries such as China , Vietnam , Cuba , Laos , North Korea , and the former Soviet Union countries. May Day celebrations in these countries typically feature elaborate workforce parades, including displays of military hardware and soldiers. In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated 1 May to " Saint Joseph

2508-601: The Secretary General of the trade union congress and by regional secretaries in the regions. Workers from different workplaces through banners and T-shirts identify their companies. In Kenya , 1 May is a public holiday and celebrated as Labour Day. It is a big day addressed by the leaders of the workers' umbrella union body – the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU). The Cabinet Secretary in charge of Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (and occasionally

2574-474: The Tragic Week and the failed railworkers' strike in 1917, the FORA V experienced a short revival in strength during this year. In August 1910, the FORA IX was able to defeat a proposal for a new labor law, which would have undermined the improvements in working conditions the labor movement had achieved over the past years, with a huge demonstration in Buenos Aires. Although the organization had previously passed

2640-633: The United States and most countries in Europe. Demonstrations were also held in Chile and Peru. May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891. Subsequently, the May Day riots of 1894 occurred. The International Socialist Congress, Amsterdam 1904 called on "all Social Democratic Party organisations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on

2706-534: The Worker". Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers and craftsmen, among others. Today, the majority of countries around the world celebrate a workers' day on 1 May. Eastern Bloc countries such as the Soviet Union and most countries of central and eastern Europe that were under the rule of Marxist–Leninist governments held official May Day celebrations in every town and city, during which party leaders greeted

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2772-488: The anarchists of various persuasions", while Ruth Thompson holds that "a closer examination of Argentine trade unions around the turn of the century suggests that the importance of anarchism has been exaggerated", and Roberto P. Korzeniewicz contends "that anarchism was not as prevalent within the labour movement in Argentina around the turn of the century as studies of the period have generally maintained", although he concedes that "anarchism achieved greater labour support during

2838-521: The crowds. Workers carried banners with political slogans and many companies decorated their company cars. The biggest celebration of 1 May usually occurred in the capital of a particular socialist country and usually included a military display and the presence of the president and the secretary general of the party. During the Cold War , May Day became the occasion for large military parades in Red Square by

2904-423: The death of 18 people across Soweto. It has its origins within the historical struggles of workers and their trade unions internationally for solidarity between working people in their struggles to win fair employment standards and more importantly, to establish a culture of human and worker rights and to ensure that these are enshrined in international law and the national law. In 1986, the hundredth anniversary of

2970-539: The death of another 39 men. The FORA V had called a general strike after the events on January 7, the FORA IX followed on January 9. On January 11, the FORA IX reached an agreement with the Nueva Pompeya industrialists, who were pressured by the Interior Ministry. In turn, the government agreed to release all prisoners taken during the strikes. As a reaction to the workers' actions, business and military leaders formed

3036-470: The divide and encouraged anarchist involvement in the labor movement. His departure strengthened the anti-organizers, but this trend was reversed in the mid-1890s. Pietro Gori , an Italian anarchist who immigrated to Argentina in 1898, and Antonio Pellicer Paraire , who arrived from Spain in 1898, were two key figures on the pro-organization side. In a series of articles in 1900 in La Protesta Humana ,

3102-415: The early 1900s". In any case, there was considerable anarchist union activity in the 1890s. Most of the European immigration to South America as a whole came from Spain and Italy, the two European countries in which anarchism was most influential. These immigrants included anarchists forced to flee their native countries for political reasons. The working class was hardly integrated into the political system at

3168-459: The eight-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat , and for universal peace ". The 1st of May, or first Monday in May, is a national public holiday in many countries, in most cases known as "International Workers' Day" or a similar name. Some countries celebrate a Labour Day on other dates significant to them, such as the United States and Canada , which celebrate Labor Day on

3234-406: The entire day, and the major trade unions of Chile, represented in the national organization Workers' United Center of Chile (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores), organize rallies during the morning hours, with festivities and cookouts in the later part of the day, in all the major cities of Chile. During these rallies, representatives of the major left-wing political parties speak to the assemblies on

3300-477: The first Monday of September. In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated 1 May to " Saint Joseph the Worker". Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers and craftsmen, among others. Labor Celebration days existed in some European countries since the end of 18th century - sometimes on January 20 (France, 1793), sometimes on June 5 (France, 1867). On 21 April 1856, Australian stonemasons in Victoria undertook

3366-399: The following years, 1 May became a popular, if not official, holiday. As a result of the killings on 1 May 1950 and the success of COSATU's call in 1986, 1 May became associated with resistance to the apartheid government. After its first universal election in 1994 , 1 May was adopted as a public holiday, celebrated for the first time in 1995. On its website, the city of Durban states that

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3432-579: The holiday "celebrate[s] the role played by trade unions and other labour movements in the fight against South Africa's apartheid regime". In Tanzania , it is a public holiday on 1 May and celebrated as Worker's Day. 1 May is recognized as Labour Day in Tunisia , and is a paid public holiday In Uganda , Labour Day is a public holiday on 1 May. 1 May is recognized as a public holiday in Zimbabwe and called Workers' Day. In Antigua and Barbuda , Labour Day

3498-589: The holiday was officially known as Internationaler Kampf- und Feiertag der Werktätigen für Frieden und Sozialismus ("International Day of the Struggle and Celebration of the Workers for Peace and Socialism"); similar names were used in other Eastern Bloc countries. In Algeria , 1 May is a public holiday celebrated as Labour Day. 1 May is recognized as public holiday in Angola and called Workers' Day. In Egypt , 1 May

3564-470: The international labour movement celebrated it for the first time. In 1930, it was established as an official holiday by the Radical Civic Union president Hipólito Yrigoyen . The day became particularly significant during the worker-oriented government of Juan Domingo Perón (1946–55). He permitted and endorsed national recognition of the holiday during his tenure in office. In Barbados , May Day

3630-425: The issues of the day concerning workers' rights. 1 May has long been recognized as Labour Day and almost all workers respect it as a national holiday. As in many other countries, it is common to see rallies by the trade unions in all over the main regional capitals of the country. First celebrated in 1913, labor day is a public holiday, and at the same time an important day for government activities. On this day,

3696-455: The offensive by calling for a general strike, but it was quickly defeated as very few unions participated. On January 7, 1919, a strike by an anarchist union with tenuous links to the FORA V in Nueva Pompeya led to a shootout between workers and police, troops, and firemen, killing five. Two days later, the police ambushed the 200,000 workers on their way to La Chacarita Cemetery leading to

3762-511: The principles rejected party politics as a means of abolishing capitalism. However, they also accepted collective bargaining and arbitration, but not by the government, for settling labor disputes and pushing for labor legislation. The unionists decided that May 1 would be observed as a day of protest. The congress elected a ten-headed administrative committee composed of six anarchists, two socialists, one member who only declared himself an anarchist in 1902, and another delegate who did not commit to

3828-436: The same census. In 1876, the country's first trade union was founded, and in 1887, the first national labor organization. Both the industrialization of the country and its labor movement were centered on the capital Buenos Aires and by 1896, there were more thirty trade unions in the city alone. From 1896, the labor movement started developing a clear working class program and the first sympathy strikes began taking place. In

3894-530: The strike when an unidentified person threw a bomb. The police responded by firing on the workers. The event led to the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians; sixty police officers were injured, as were one hundred and fifteen civilians. Hundreds of labour leaders and sympathizers were later rounded-up and four were executed by hanging, after a trial that was seen as a miscarriage of justice . The following day on 5 May, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ,

3960-640: The time, with 70% of the adult males in Buenos Aires disenfranchised as foreigners in 1912. On May 25 and 26 and June 2, 1901, fifty delegates, both anarchists and socialists, representing between twenty-seven and thirty-five unions met at a congress in the capital to form the Argentine Workers' Federation (FOA), with no more than 10,000 members initially. Most of the unions that joined the FOA came from construction or professions mainly practiced in small artisans' workshops such as bakers or furniture makers. Modern industrial workers were absent, while some came from

4026-459: The transport sector and ports. During the congress, socialists and pro-organization anarchists, particularly Gori and Pellicer Paraire, repeatedly disagreed on several issues, with the latter in a stronger position. The organization's founding principles reflected this. The principles proclaimed working class solidarity to be the only means of liberating workers, with the general strike their ultimate weapon in their fight against capital. Accordingly,

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4092-549: The vigilante Argentine Patriotic League . Unimpeded by the government, it attacked labor organizations and militants. In all, between 100 and 700 people died during what became known as the Tragic Week or la Semana Trágica in Spanish. The outrage over this event caused another peak in strike activity in 1919 with 397 strikes involving over 300,000 workers in Buenos Aires alone. While the FORA IX claimed to have learned its lesson from

4158-448: The widest possible study and propaganda to all its adherents with the object of teaching the workers the economic and philosophical principles of anarchist communism" becoming the programmatic basis of the union for the following years and reflecting the radicalization of the preceding. Anarchist communism became the sole doctrine in the FORA, causing statist socialists to leave the union. The FORA continued to grow quite rapidly, reaching

4224-459: Was complemented by the unification of the CORA and the FORA. However, not all agreed on this new set of principles. A minority left the FORA and founded the FORA V, as it stuck to the resolution from the fifth congress. The majority FORA became known as the FORA IX, as it was founded at the ninth congress. The FORA V, whose membership peaked at 10,000, was strongest in the interior of the country, where it retained considerable economic power well into

4290-747: Was subsequently formed again and exists to this day as a member of the International Workers' Association (the anarcho-syndicalist international). Trade unions in Argentina Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 446950957 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 06:53:43 GMT International Workers%27 Day Traditionally, 1 May

4356-425: Was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday . By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty US states officially celebrated Labor Day. Thus by 1887 in North America, Labour Day was an established, official holiday but in September, not on 1 May. May Day has also been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups since

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