Workers raise voices and fists worldwide
By
Cheryl LaBash
Published May 4, 2005 5:26 PM
The struggle is on to reclaim May
Day—-International Workers Day—-in its birthplace, the United
States. But throughout the world, workers, peasants, oppressed people and
students already embrace the legacy of the 1886 Haymarket martyrs. They
celebrate May 1 as a day to further their fight for unity, jobs and social
justice, and against the U.S. war machine.
They may be in the mountains of
Nepal or the plains of Mozambique, the islands of Asia or the imperialist
capitals of Europe. But on May 1, 2005, workers around the world in marches and
gatherings in the tens, hundreds and hundreds of thousands voiced their demands
against global imperialist devastation.
In Maputo, the capital of
Mozambique, tens of thousands of workers marched against HIV/AIDS, but voiced
economic issues, too. The workers from a local beverage bottler demanded 16
months back wages since Coca-Cola drove the manufacturer out of business.
In Kimberly, South Africa, the president of the National Union of
Metalworkers encouraged workers to organize to fight job cuts, hitting DeBeers
for massive layoffs.
Thousands of Indonesian workers in Jakarta,
Surabaya, Surakarta and Ban dung joined with students demanding free education
and health care. Workers in Surabaya demanded the government protect migrant
workers and the rights of all workers by rejecting free trade deals.
Workers in Malaysia are fighting privatization of water and health care,
resulting in higher costs for necessities. Thousands of workers, political and
grassroots activists demonstrated under the banner of “Globalization
erodes workers rights.”
Three different protests in Istanbul, Turkey
defied the government ban on May Day protests and refused to disperse. Police
attacked demonstrators with tear gas and detained at least 47
people.
Workers raised anti-war themes in Japan and the Chinese province
of Taiwan.
Over half a million German workers demonstrated against
corporate attacks on wages and jobs, just one example of the mobilizations
throughout Europe. “Ukraine is not an Amer ican state,” said workers
in Kiev.
In Moscow tens of thousands with red flags demanded higher
minimum wages. In an hour-long standoff with the OMON political police, the Red
Youth Vanguard demanded and won the release of six young activists detained for
burning a photograph of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In Colombia, on
May Day a delegation of trade unionists installed a plaque to honor Colombian
workers who have been killed trying to organize unions. The Million Worker March
leaders addressed a Venezuela May Day rally via live feed. And in Japan the
national railway union held a May Day rally in coordination with the MWM
Movement.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
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