8-hour day
The eight hour day in 2008
In this feature, published by Freedom Press for Mayday 2008, Rob Ray investigates how the campaign for the eight hour day has progressed since the times of the Haymarket Martyrs.
Entire families of Chirala saree makers in India work 12-14 hours a day for their take-home pay of just over £50 a month.
1886: The Bay View Massacre
The little known history of the massacre that occurred in Milwaukee, when 7,000 building workers and 5,000 Polish workers demanded the eight-hour work day.
The deadly stand-off between workers and the National Guard was the culmination of events that began on Saturday May 1, 1886.
A historical marker, pictured above, is located at Russel and Superior on Jones Island in Bay View. It commemorates the Bay View Massacre.
1915-1920: Red Clydeside and the shop stewards' movement
An account of the powerful workers' movement in Scotland and the strike of 100,000 for a 40-hour week in 1919 which was savagely attacked by the government on what became known as Bloody Friday.
Although unemployment decreased slightly in the few years immediately preceding the beginning of hostilities, inflation rose dramatically, increasing the prices of foodstuffs, rents and fuel, but decreasing workers’ wages by 15%. While conditions at work were fairly miserable, workers had to return to bad housing where overcrowding was not uncommon and disease rampant.
1886: The Haymarket Martyrs and Mayday
The history of the world holiday on the 1st May - Mayday, held in commemoration of four anarchists executed for struggling for an 8-hour day.
Originally a pagan holiday, the roots of the modern Mayday bank holiday are in the fight for the eight-hour working day in Chicago in 1886, and the subsequent execution of innocent anarchist trade unionists.
1919: La Canadiense and Barcelona general strike
A short history of the Barcelona general strike of 1919 which began after the sacking of eight workers, and ended up as one of the most successful working class actions in history.
The strike forced the introduction of the world's first 8-hour working day law and large pay increases.
1919: The 40-hours strike
The 40 Hours strike led by the Clyde Workers' Committee was the most radical strike seen on Clydeside in terms of both its tactics and its demands.
The objectives of the strike were overtly political; they were to secure a reduction of weekly working hours to 40 in order that discharged soldiers could find employment, and to stop the re-emergence of an unemployed reserve, thereby maintaining the strength of labour against capital.
Parsons on the 8 hour Day
Albert R. Parsons, Haymarket Martyr and anarchist on the movement for an eight-hour working day in March, 1886.
