Category: Global May Day 2021
#GlobalMayDay2021 in Düsseldorf: Solidarity with Arrested Rider in China
Comrades of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Düsseldorf expressed their support for the arrested rider Meng Zhu who organized many fellow workers.
On February 25 “Mengzhu,” a well-known food delivery worker activist, was detained by Beijing police in a raid on the group apartment where he lives with other delivery workers. Four of them were also detained.
complete article: labournotes.org
While two workers were released after questioning at the police station, Mengzhu—whose real name is Chen Guojiang—and two of his close friends are still detained. He has been charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a catch-all category often used against activists in China.
On the same day neo-nazis marched through the city protected by cops. The local FAU syndicate together with many other groups and organisations mobilized against the march. Some people clashed with police trying to block the march, some were arrested.
#GlobalMayDay2021: Workers rally in Dhaka
The Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center (GWTUC) spontaneously started a rally in the city of Dhaka, which was joined by around 500 workers. On a seperate banner as well as in speeches solidarity with the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Myanmar was expressed. [report in local newspaper in Bangla: atntimes.com]
Their main focus was on a minimum wage of 20,000 Taka (approx. 200€) as well as the death of workers recently killed by police during a protest. The workers at a power plant were demanding a pay rise as well as more breaks.
#GlobalMayDay2021: Activities across Spain
The Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) as a whole announced to support the call for Global May Day 2021. Local branches of the anarcho-syndicalist CGT arranged different activities across Spain.
Here is a small selection:
Algeciras
Bilbao
Ceuta
The CGT in Ceuta called for a feminist rally also emphasizing the solidarity with refugees – no borders, no nations!
Media report (in Spanish): ceutaactualidad.com | tercerainformacion.es
#GlobalMayDay2021: #KillTheBill rally in Bristol
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Bristol support the call for Global May Day 2021 and called to join the #KillTheBill rally in town with the text below.
#GlobalMayDay2021: Rally in Braunschweig
The radical left group in/progress Braunschweig joined a youth block at the main May Day rally in the city. Around 500 people joined the rally.
“LockDown Capitalism – United for a Society in Solidarity” was the slogan at todays May Day rally in Braunschweig with around 500 protesters. We participanted among others with a specific suggestion on who should pay for the consequences of the corona-crisis.
source (in German): twitter.com
Furthermore May Day was used to express solidarity with the newly initiated Global Garment Workers’ Solidarity Network (GGW SoliNet).
As part of Global May Day we send our solidarity from Braunschweig to the Global Garment Workers’ Solidarity Network. #1World1Struggle
source: twitter.com
#GlobalMayDay2021: Libertarian Rally in Bonn
The Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Bonn joined other groups in organizing a rally in the city center.
#GlobalMayDay2021: Actions across Ireland
The IWW Ireland supports the call for Global May Day 2021. Here are some of the activities arranged by the local branches.
Belfast
Belfast IWW mark International Workers Day in Writers Square in Belfast City after gathering at the International Antifascist monument dedicated to the international brigadists. Our actions formed part of Global MayDay celebrations across Ireland and internationally with other revolutionary syndicalist unions and organisations.
source: facebook.com
As part of our May Day actions we set up a short history of May Day, the IWW, and Industrial Unionism in Writers Square. We were able to chat to passers by about the reason we mark May Day and the state of trade unionism today.
source: twitter.com
The IWW won’t give you special credit cards or package holidays, but we will always fight for the dignity and right of our class to all that our hands produce.
Derry
Another glorious day in Derry’s Guildhall Square as Wobblies helped celebrate International Workers Day with a banner drop in the Square. The action was in solidarity with national and international actions carried out by a number of revolutionary unions as part of Global May Day 2021. IWW members set up a free street exhibition on the IWW, its history and solidarity unionism as well as stencils, stickers and flyposting as we commemorated international workers day.
source: facebook.com
Street exhibition in Derry as part of May Day events organised by the IWW Derry Branch. It made good discussion points during the day as to why the IWW are completely different from that of the ‘business unions’.
source: facebook.com
Dublin
Members of the IWW Dublin Branch took part in a number of actions as part of May Day celebrations earlier today around the city centre.
source: facebook.com
#GlobalMayDay2021 Audio Messages
The working group of workers who collect recyclable materials and urban cleaners from the Autonomous Federation of Workers (FAT) in Goiás (Brazil) sent this message to the Global May Day network:
Also comrades of the Free Workers Union (FAU) Hamburg and Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Hamburg recorded a message for #GlobalMayDay2021 going out to comrades around the world:
Furthermore this speech was prepared to be held at the anarchist rally in Hamburg for May Day 2021:
Continue reading
আন্তর্জাতিক মে দিবস ২০২১ (Bengali)
Main page: Global May Day 2021
অ্যাকশন কল
বিশ্বব্যাপী আমরা তথা সকল বেতন- নির্ভরশীল কর্মীরা, অতিরিক্ত মূল্য উৎপাদনের প্রতিযোগিতায় ছুটে চলেছি। আমাদের বাসস্থান, লিঙ্গ, জাতীয়তা নির্বিশেষে, আমাদের সেচ্ছায় বা অনিচ্ছায়, সকলকে ওতপ্রোতভাবে জড়িয়ে পরতে হয়েছে এই যুদ্ধে। সামাজিক বিভিন্ন পরিসেবা খাতের খরচের হ্রাস, আউটসোর্সিং, হ্রাসমান মজুরি, বেসরকারিকরণ, দৈনন্দিন খরচের ও শিক্ষা লাভের মূল্যবৃদ্ধি এবং প্রাকৃতিক সম্পদের অবক্ষয় ইত্যাদি হল আন্তর্জাতিক অর্থনীতি ব্যাবস্থার কয়েকটা মাত্র লক্ষণ। একটা ব্যাবস্থা যদি শোষণ এবং প্রতিযোগিতামূলক মানসিকতার ভিত্তিতে গড়ে ওঠে তাহলে টা আমাদের দৈনন্দিন জীবনের প্রতিটা দিককেও বাণিজ্যিকীকরণ এর পথে পরিচালনা করবে। এবং সেটারই ফলস্বরূপ, আমাদের কর্মক্ষেত্রের কার্য সম্পাদন করা থেকে শুরু করে নিত্য প্রয়োজনীয় মৌলিক চাহিদা পরিপূর্ণ না হওয়া ও আপনজনদের থেকে বিচ্ছিন্নতার মতো বিভিন্ন সমস্যার ক্রমবর্ধমান চাপের জাতাকলে আমরা পিষে চলেছি। আর এই চাপটাকেই মাথায় বহন করে আমাদের দৈনন্দিন জীবন যাপন করতে হয়, তা সেটা কর্মক্ষেত্রই হোক বা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, এমন কি বর্তমানে শৈশব ও যৌবনেও এই চাপ থেকে নিষ্পত্তি নেই।
Continue reading
#GlobalMayDay2021: Announce your Activities!
Global May Day 2021 is around the corner. Announce your activities, so they can be listed below.
You can use these channels to submit details on your activities (and May Day reports afterwards):
Global May Day mailing list [globalmayday@lists.riseup.net] | GMD facebook group | Contact form
The following list will be updated continuously:
Bonn
A libertarian alliance incl. Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Bonn calls for a rally in Bonn.
2 pm at Friedensplatz at 2 pm.
source: facebook
Braunschweig
The activist group in/progress calls to join the youth alliance demo “Lockdown Capitalism”.
[source: inprogress-bs.net]
10:30 am: starting at Burgplatz
12:15 pm: rally at Johannes-Selenka-Platz
1 – 4 pm: Stalls at Ringgleis with the Youth alliance at Westbahnhof
Dhaka
The Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center (GWTUC) will arrange a spontaneous rally somewhere in the city. Due to the repressive climate time and location are not publicly announced in advance.
The rally will also be streamed via their facebook page.
Freiburg
Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Freiburg will join the main May Day rally in the city and calls on people to join their block: 10:45 am – Platz der Alten Synagoge [sources: freiburg.fau.org | tacker.fr]
Hamburg
Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Hamburg and Industrial Workers’ of the World (IWW) Hamburg call to join the anarchist rally “Are you kidding us? Capitalism is the superspreader” organized by the regional Black-Red May Day alliance. [call in English: schwarzrotererstermai.blogspot.com]
Meeting points:
April 30th in Lübeck:
6:30 pm
Central Station
May Day in Hamburg:
12:30 pm
Emilienstraße (Subway Station)
Kolkata
As part of observing the May Day 2021, FITE Kolkata plans to:
1. Observe an online event streamed via the facebook page to go on from 1-7 May, 2021 (event link).
2. Create a poster for May day typically focusing on IT workers/IT industry.
3. A generic write up for May Day
4. Start a YouTube channel with an introductory video.
5. Create a collage with Employees’ pictures with slogans with hashtag #GlobalMayDay2021
Magdeburg
Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Magdeburg arranges various activities around May Day this year:
[source: magdeburg.fau.org]
April 28th: Poster-Campaign to remember the dead and fight for the living on this years Workers’ Memorial Day – across the city
May Day: Catwalk of oppression; street performance presenting different stories of workers | 12 am, Platz am Elbbahnhof
May 3rd: Day of action of the jobless; rally in front of the Jobcenter and companionships | 12 – 4 pm at the intersection of Otto-von-Guericke Str. and Ernst-Reuter-Allee
May 11th: Online input by the working group Labour Union Action – 6 pm (registration via faumd-va@fau.org)
Sweden
Various branches of anarcho-syndicalist SAC Syndicalisterna arrange activities in different cities.
Göteborg
Support cleaning workers on May Day! SAC calls to join actions against the cleaning company VGS. Groups with a fixed number of people will rally at 10:30 am outside various STC fitness studios. [source: facebook]
Malmö
Digital May Day starting noon. At 12 o’clock the local SAC branch in Malmö will stream interviews and talks about union activities in the last 12 months as well as musical sounds of resistance. The event will be streamed via facebook and youtube.
Stockholm
Speeches, music and coffee at Folkets Husby at 2 pm. There will be a rally followed by a BBQ. Follow the facebook page for updates.
Uppsala
Red-Black Vinyl-Night. Format and Funky Peter play vinyl records starting at 7 pm: twitch.tv
Others: 24 hrs May Day radio stream from the cultural center Cyclopen from 8 am until 8 am the next day. Live-music, DJs, talks, lyrics, noise and much more. SAC May Day speech will also be broadcasted and two comrades will speak about a recent conference focussing on medical care workers organized by SAC. [source: facebook]
Who was Joe Hill? A stream starting at 2 pm. [source: facebook]