Global May Day 2026


CALL TO ACTION

โ˜† Deutsch โ˜†

โ€œOur victorious rallying cry
     Shall be we want the earth!โ€
    – James Connolly, We Only Want the Earth (1907)

Around the world capitalism continues its unmitigated decline. And around the world authoritarianism yet again rears its head. From crackdowns on Anti-Fascists, to the brutal wars against comrades in Rojava and Myanmar as well as the recent attacks on Gen Z in Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal and Togo. It seems that the forces of reaction are trying everything in their power to crush the hope for a better, equal and free world. The uprising in Bangladesh in July 2024 can be critically described as a moment of mass struggle in which the working class made the greatest sacrifices. Yet its aftermath reveals a contradictory reality: the rise of Islamic fanatics and the continued presence of imperialist forces that have continued to suppress and kill workers even after the uprising. This development underlines the need for workers to always stay critical of authoritarian developments and keep getting organised.

Authoritarianism does not just entail state violence and militarism, but also includes โ€œideologies of inequalityโ€ such as racism, sexism, transphobia, nationalism, classism and chauvinism. It is a social, cultural, political and economic phenomenon, which we resist together. 

We observe how the introduction of so called labour codes across South Asia, prioritises economic liberalisation and investments over workersโ€™ rights, and therefore manifests exploitative relationships. We observe an increasing militarisation of conflicts worldwide. Governments everywhere are boosting military spending at the expense of social security. Each war declared by nation states and their proxies is an attack on the working class. After all it is people of the working class who are traumatised and killed in the fields for geo-strategic, imperialist and capitalist interests. Our hearts hurt seeing the continuous suffering and killings in regions such as Congo (DRC), Gaza, Myanmar, Rojava, Sudan, Tigray and Ukraine.

However, we are not victims. Our ideas cannot be easily extinguished. May Day is our opportunity to learn to stand together worldwide and strike back against empire and capital.

International Workers Day is our day. It is our day to remind the ruling class and the thugs that protect them that they are outnumbered and will leave the stage of history, one way or another. It is our day to remind ourselves that we, the workers of the world, hold the power and will inherit the earth. One day soon, the centuries long class war will end and the united workers of the world shall be victorious.

This May Day we put a special focus on the struggle of workers on tea plantations in Bangladesh. For generations, they have endured systemic discrimination and exploitation. To fight for better conditions and perspectively the emancipation of capitalist exploitation, workers organised the 1st National Conference of the Tea Workers’ Trade Union Center (TWTUC) in Sreemangal last year. We will connect our May Day actions by displaying common symbols and highlighting the struggle of tea workers for a life in dignity!

From continent to continent, working people face similar patterns of exploitation, marginalisation, and repression. Our struggle, therefore, is not confined within national borders โ€” it is part of the broader fight for international working-class unity and a life in dignity for all. We are convinced that the liberation of the working class cannot happen in isolation. True freedom is only possible through the unity and solidarity of all oppressed, exploited, and struggling workers across the globe.

Every day shall be a May Day. Through organising our workplaces, building connections with our comrades around the world and through striking blows against empire and capital at every opportunity.

Workers of the world unite! 
Let there be no war between nations and no peace between classes!

#globalmayday26
#1world1struggle


For an overview of activities last year go here.

Supporters of the call for
GLOBAL MAY DAY 2026

This list will be updated continuously for the next few weeks.

Join the call:


COMMON FRAMEWORK:
Three elements

#1
Call to Action:

The above call defines the common ground.

Each union/ syndicate/ group acts autonomously with its own focal points and types of actions!

#2
Common Symbol:

To visually connect your action with the call, display the symbol below.

Download logo in different languages (zip file | Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian, German)

#3
Communication:

All supporting the call are asked to announce planned activities and report about them afterwards on the mailing list: globalmayday@lists.riseup.net.
This way comrades are informed about your activities on the international level.
Announcements and reports will also be published on this website.

For the communication on social media all are asked to use:
#globalmayday26
#1world1struggle


ANNOUNCED ACTIONS


MATERIALS

โ˜† posters โ˜† stickers โ˜† headers โ˜† miscellaneous โ˜†

Posters

A colorful illustration for Global May Day 2026, featuring diverse individuals holding hands while standing in a grassy area. The design includes various symbols and logos representing labor and social movements, with a rising graph in the background. The text prominently displays 'GLOBAL MAY DAY 2026' in a bold font.

The main poster design with the logos of supporting unions can also be downloaded in higher quality in size A2 (pdf).

Stickers

โ˜† English โ˜† Arabic โ˜† Bangla โ˜† Burmese โ˜† French โ˜† German โ˜† Italian โ˜† Portuguese โ˜† Russian โ˜† Serbo-Croatian โ˜† Spanish โ˜†

English

Arabic

Bangla

Burmese

French

German

Italian

Portuguese

Russian

Graphic poster promoting a 30-hour work week with the message 'ะ ะฐะฑะพั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ ะผะตะฝัŒัˆะต, ะถะธั‚ัŒ ะปัƒั‡ัˆะต' (Work less, live better) surrounded by industrial motifs.

Serbo-Croatian

Graphic promoting a labor message with the text 'Manje posla, 30 h NEDELJENO, Viลกe ลพivota', surrounded by illustrations of machinery and an artistic background.

Spanish


Headers

Miscellaneous


Contact

mailing list
facebook group
globalmaydaynetwork@gmail.com