By Niall Phillips
The 1st of May, or first Monday in May, is a national public holiday in many countries. Workers in Ireland first benefited from this public holiday in 1994. Do you know why 1st of May is a public holiday in so many countries around the world? International Labour Day or May Day is a celebration and a remembrance of the hard work and sacrifices made by workers since the 19th century to organise for better workplaces and a better society.
The very first International Labour Day was celebrated on 1st May 1889 to commemorate unarmed workers who were killed by police in Chicago USA on the 1st May 1886 while peacefully protesting to demand an eight-hour workday. This came to be known as the Haymarket Affair and was a turning point in the struggle for workers’ rights.
May Day was first celebrated in Dublin in 1890 when a demonstration was organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions on the first Sunday in May. In keeping with the rising global movement one of the key demands of the speakers at this demonstration was an eight-hour day. The eight-hour day was the first topic discussed by the International Labour Organisation which resulted in the Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, 1919 ratified by 52 countries as of 2025. Ireland did not ratify this Convention. However, the introduction of the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, prevents an employer from allowing an employee, who is subject to the legislation, from working more than 48 hours in each seven-day period, calculated over a reference period of usually four months.
Even today, years after the Haymarket Affair, there is still inequality among workers across various industries and countries. Here in Ireland workers still do not have the right to collective bargaining like many of their European comrades. SIPTU has consistently advocated for the full implementation of the EU Adequate Minimum Wages Directive in Ireland, with a strong emphasis on promoting a legal right to collective bargaining. We have criticised the Government for inconsistencies in its approach to collective bargaining, highlighting the need for stronger protections for trade union activists and a more robust framework for its implementation.
The struggle for workers’ rights continues. Together we are stronger.