Here is an overview of reports related to activities linked to the coordinations of Global May Day 2026. The call this year was supported by 24 federations, unions and labour groups worldwide – as many as never before. The list of reports is being updated continuously for the next few days and weeks.
!! To see your report here, share it with the mailing list or leave a comment below !!
During an internal meeting of the Thai Workers’ Union on May Day they recorded greetings to comrades around the world:
Belfast
Comrades of IWW Belfast gathered ahead of the annual May Day march and rally and published this report:
The Industrial Workers of the World took part in this years annual May Day March and Rally in Belfast, which was organised by the Belfast & District Trades Union Council.
Thought to be one of the largest May Day celebrations held in the city for a number of years, an estimated 5000 trade union and community activists took to the streets to commemorate the 140th anniversary of International Worker’s Day and the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886.
Speaking as the event got underway, an IWW spokesperson spoke on the historical background of May Day and its radicial roots, saying, “In the spring of 1886, following Haymarket bombing. An act, even today, strongly suggests a deliberate act of desperation by agent’s of the state and local bosses, eight unionists, anarchists, mostly immigrants had been targeted and rounded up by the authorities.
“The very name of targeted had been known radicial labour activists such as August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolf Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, Samuel Fielden, Michael Schwab, Oscar Neebe. Some of those who couldn’t even be placed at the time of the explosion. The evidence extremely weak, the jury was contaminated, the judge himself doesn’t even try conceal these facts, so the sentence was already written long before hearing the defense’s first word.
“From those events the international labour movement in 1889, the Second International designated May 1 as a labour day. To remember those Haymarket martyrs but more importantly to acknowledge past battles, past victories, and to recommitted ourselves as a class to the battles yet to come.
“That is why it’s important for all of us, as a class as organised labour, to be mobilised and to be on the streets at this time. We need to be vocal and actively encouraging workers to unionise wherever you work or live. To highlight our demands that every worker needs a union. This is why we are on the streets today celebrating International Worker’s Day.”
Together with the Stage Workers United, Initiative of Green Trades/ Farm Workers (IGG) and the Free Workers’ Youth (FAJ), the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Berlin joined the class struggle bloc of the main May Day rally in the city.
Brazil
The anarcho-syndicalist Federation of Revolutionary Syndicalist Organizations of Brazil (FOB) together with its affiliates mobilised in different cities acrouss the country. To give an overview the comrades prepared these slides featuring actions in Londrina (Paranรก), Distrito Federal (Goiรกs), Fortaleza (Cearรก), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Belรฉm (Parรก), Sรฃo Paulo (SP) and Sul de Minas (Minas Gerais) :
A more comprehensive report is available in connection with the actions in Belรฉm:
Belรฉm
We are proud to have taken part in a demonstration that refused to be pro-government or conciliatory! We felt the power of the working classโs autonomy and of direct action in opposing the system. Congratulations to everyone who took to the streets to occupy and fight against the 6-to-1 shift pattern, against femicide and against all forms of oppression! Keep up the fight!
On this day of mourning and struggle, 1 May, we took to the streets to demand an end to the 6-on-1-off shift pattern without any losses for the working class, and an end to femicide. During the protest, we attempted to enter the Lรญder Doca supermarket with the sole aim of occupying it; we broke through the first barrier despite fierce resistance, but were then targeted by the stateโs forces of repression, who fired pepper spray and rubber bullets. A disproportionate and unnecessary attack, as no one had broken anything or resorted to aggression, but this was to be expected from a police force indoctrinated to attack the working class and protect the bourgeoisie and their property. Fortunately, our activists are well and we continue the struggle!
The 6ร1 work schedule is a system in which employees work six days in a row, with the right to one day off. Currently, the maximum working hours allowed under Brazilian law are 8 hours a day and 44 hours a week. Thus, people working 6ร1 usually work 8 hours on weekdays and 4 hours on Saturdays, or 7.20 hours from Monday to Saturday, with Sundays off. Currently, some countries in the world make use of the 6ร1 working day. Mexico, Colombia, India and Greece, for example, allow working hours of up to 48 hours, divided into six days. In addition, countries in the Middle East and North Africa such as Iran, Libya and Somalia make use of this working model.
For several years FOB has been mobilizing for the abolition of the 6 x 1 scale and therefore fighting for more free time for workers. Supermarkets and shopping centers usually apply the 6 x 1 scale. Therefore comrades attempted to occupy a supermarket in protest.
Comrades of FOB in Distrito Federal published a short report:
TRADE UNION POLITICAL EDUCATION | 1 May ๐ด๐ฉ
On May Day, FOB-DF, together with @lutafobgo, organised a training session titled: โNew Labour Relations and Old Trade Union Practices: Challenges Faced by the Working-Class Struggle in the 21st Centuryโ.
The session discussed the current challenges faced by the working class, the crisis of leadership and organisation we are experiencing, and the need to build militant and independent organisations. […]
Comrades in Londrina (Paranรก) published this report:
Working Class Day ๐ด๐ฉ. ๐ Today, 1 May, International Working Class Day, Alternativa Popular, together with its grassroots trade union, student and community organisations, joined forces with the Solidarity Occupation (Ocupaรงรฃo Solidariedade) to organise our day. ๐ In yet another moment of solidarity, we organised our popular cinema, featuring an important discussion on working-class life and the importance of the struggle for the masses. ๐ May Day is not a celebration, it is a struggle. That is why we honour the memory of the Chicago Martyrs and the legacy of Revolutionary Trade Unionism.
Comrades of FOB in Sรฃo Paulo joined a May Day rally and reported this:
DOWN WITH TRADE UNION BUREAUCRACY!
Yesterday, on May Day, a day of struggle for the working class, we held an independent rally alongside the forces that make up the Classist and Combative Bloc, denouncing the exploitation of the working class through this inhumane 6-to-1 shift pattern. We set off in a march from the Municipal Theatre and headed towards the rally at Praรงa da Repรบblica, organised by the leadership of CSP-Conlutas. Throughout the march, we addressed the crowd over a loudspeaker, engaging with workers who were on duty during the public holiday until we joined the rally led by CSP-Conlutas.
*Our right to speak continues to be systematically curtailed by the forces of social democracy*
We must denounce the fact that the leadership of CSP-Conlutas denied us our democratic right to speak at the demonstration.
We were among the first to register, but the CSP-Conlutas leadership allowed several organisations to speak before us for at least an hour, until we decided to leave the demonstration.
Furthermore, we believe that the struggle against the 6×1 shift pattern and for a reduction in working hours must continue. We must not follow the playbook of social democracy, which is using the struggle for a historic demand of the working class as a means to promote election campaigns and secure positions within the state bureaucracy.
The section of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) in Cottbus/Chรณลebuz published the following report:
๐ฉMAYDAY – MAYDAY ๐คโค๏ธ
It took some effort, but yesterday we stood outside the Stadthalle on behalf of the FAU โ a milestone since our grassroots group was founded two years ago.
From 9.30 am to 4.15 pm, we spoke to people from all walks of life in our city: from an eco-conscious AfD grandad, to a 97-year-old war veteran (a trade union member since 1946!), to scattered DGB members and people from the migrant community in Cottbus/Chรณลebuz.
We were met with hostility and praise, handed out water and information leaflets, watched the 300-strong AfD demonstration march past us, had fascinating conversations and learnt a great deal about ourselves and the cityโs society.
We couldnโt have done it without our supporters. Thank you for supporting us with infrastructure or by being there in person! ๐คโค๏ธ๐ค
Solidarity greetings
Your FAU grassroots group in Cottbus/Chรณลebuz โ
Workers of textile factories across Dhaka joined the May Day rally of the Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center (GWTUC). Just like in previous years, GWTUC joined the call for Global May Day 2026 again.
On the front banner it says:
Workers of the world, unite! Establish the rights of the working class, join the struggle for the liberation from exploitation. Long live May Day! Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center
This poster was displayed across the city and it says:
**Let the Great May Day be Immortal** Establish workers’ rights โ Join the struggle for the liberation from exploitation.
Workers’ Gathering & Procession May 1, 2026 || 10:00 AM || Purana Paltan Crossing, Dhaka
Demands:
Implement factory-based rationing and arrange housing for workers.
Ensure unrestricted trade union rights.
Form a wage board to determine the minimum wage for garment workers.
Provide six months of paid maternity leave and stop the harassment and oppression of female workers.
Do not deprive workers of earned leave or force extra work in the name of “General” shifts.
Repeal all anti-worker sections of the Labor Act.
Stop layoffs, harassment, and wage theft; ensure a safe workplace.
Garment Workersโ Trade Union Center Affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions Central Office: Mukti Bhaban (2nd Floor), 2 Purana Paltan, Dhaka-1000
Victory to all working-class people.
Dresden
More than 800 people joined the anarchist May Day rally, including comrades of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Dresden. A choir shaped the atmosphere and sang “solidarity forever” among others.
As the rally ended, an anarchist street festival began with 10 info booths of various anarchist organisations. The festival was also shaped by the local FAU syndicate. The audio of the Tea Workers’ Trade Union Center (TWTUC) was played several times and participants were informed about the struggle of the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM).
In the evening around 80 people came together to celebrate the anniversary of the new trade union locality of FAU Dresden.
In what was one of the largest May Day demonstrations held in recent times, an event which mark the 140th anniversary of International Worker’s Day and the Haymarket Massacre. Several members of the Industrial Workers of the World in Dublin gather afterwards at the Connolly Statue opposite Liberty Hall to mark the occasion.
A spokesperson for the IWW Ireland Branch said afterwards that “We would like to that everyone who came of today and marched with us and the labour movement to celebrate International Worker’s Day.
“As the labour movement, and our class finds strength once again in it’s ability to fight back against the bosses, in a unionised radical workers movement. We are reminded of the hero’s of labour, of May Day and all those who have gone before us. Especially today, in the words of the one time IWW activist and organiser, Lucy Parsons when they declared “Strike not for a few cents more an hour, because the price of living will be raised faster still, but strike for all you earn, be content with nothing less”
Report: May Day 2026 Gathering at Praia dos Botes Community โ Fortaleza, Brazil Organization: Terra Liberta Popular Organization Date: May 1, 2026 Location: Praia dos Botes community, Grande Mucuripe, Fortaleza โ Cearรก, Brazil
On May 1st, International Workersโ Day, the Terra Liberta Popular Organization held a solidarity gathering in the Praia dos Botes community, a traditional fishing settlement located near the Mucuripe Fish Market in Fortaleza, northeastern Brazil. The event brought together community members, activists, and allied organizations to support fifty families facing an imminent eviction threat from the federal government.
Praia dos Botes has existed for over sixty years, formed by fishing families who occupy a strip of beachfront land near the port of Mucuripe. For decades, the community has resisted eviction attempts coordinated by successive governments in partnership with private corporations. The current threat comes from the federal government, which aims to remove these families. The May Day gathering reaffirmed the principle that resonates across struggle movements worldwide: โan injury to one is an injury to allโ.
The event featured a shared feijoada (a traditional Brazilian black bean and pork stew), a live samba circle (a collective roda de samba where participants sing, play percussion and dance in a circle), and a bingo game. Throughout the day, participants exchanged experiences about land and housing struggles affecting other communities in Fortaleza, including those facing federal government conflicts in areas such as the Pici campus and its surroundings, as well as those resisting large private companies along the cityโs eastern coast. At the closing photo, participants displayed the Global May Day flag (@globalmayday), symbolizing the worldwide unity of the working class. The action was framed as part of a global call: one world, one struggle!
The gathering was made possible by the warm welcome of local residents and maritime workers of the Mucuripe region. It also saw meaningful participation from organized communities allied with Terra Liberta from the Pici and Jardim Cearense areas, the Autonomous General Union of Education of Cearรก (SIGAE-CE), the Soure Cultural Projects Laboratory (@somossoure), and Iago Barreto (@iagobasoares), who contributed photography and juggling performance. Terra Liberta extends its deep gratitude to everyone who attended and contributed food, preparation, or organization.
The struggle continues. Terra Liberta calls for international solidarity to pressure Brazilian federal authorities to halt the eviction order and guarantee land tenure for Praia dos Botes and all threatened communities. The organization remains active in building a united front among Brazil’s landless and fishing communities. For more information or solidarity messages, Terra Liberta can be reached directly.
Report submitted to the Global May Day network โ May 2, 2026
Around 2000 people joined the radical May Day rally in Gรถteborg. The anarcho-syndicalist labour union SAC in Sweden supported the call for Global May Day 2026 and mobilised in cities across the country.
Just like in previous years the call for Global May Day 2026 was also supported by the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) in Germany. In Hamburg comrades of the local FAU syndicate joined the radical “Wer hat, der gibt” (Those who have, need to give) rally, which in total gathered around 10 000 people. A common slogan at this regular May Day rally is “Those who have (resources), need to give them. Those who don’t give them, will be dispossessed!”.
In the evening several comrades of FAU Hamburg also joined the anarchist black&red rally, which united around 1000 people. At both rallies they put the focus on the struggle of tea plantation workers in Bangladesh (see the banner, which received a lot of attention) as well the fight of comrades at Kampung Dago Elos in Bandung (Indonesia), who have been successfully resisting eviction of their homes for 10 years now (see the flag “Dago Melawan” (Dago fight!))! Theme of the anarchist rally was: “Daring Anarchism – Fighting Dystopia”
The Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Hannover together with the Free Workers’ Youth (FAJ) and comrades of the platform shaped their own libertarian bloc at the May Day rally.
Katunayake
The feminist Dabindu Collective Union, as part of the United Women Voices Network, arranged a May Day rally in Katunayake. Theme of the rally: โDecent Work for All โ Advancing Social Justice and Economic Progress.โ Katunayake functions as a free trade industrial zone nearby the capital city Colombo. It has a lot of factories, for example for the garment industry.
Ahead of May Day the rally was announced with the following words:
This yearโs May Day is not only a commemoration, but also a collective space to strengthen workersโ voices across sectors, build solidarity across movements, and advocate for justice, dignity, and rights in workplaces and communities.
This event is organized as a women-led initiative, with the participation of over 500 women workers representing grassroots movements and trade unions from diverse sectors.
In the invitation to the May Day rally it says further:
The Women-Led Grassroots Collective is a coalition of women-led trade unions and grassroots organizations working across the garment and apparel sector, fisheries, and community-based livelihoods. Together, we are committed to strengthening collective bargaining power, advancing labour rights, and amplifying the voices of working women at national and international levels.
Through this platform, we aim to build stronger solidarity among women workers across sectors; including garment workers, fishery communities, and informal sector workers; while deepening engagement in labour justice, rights, and policy advocacy.
Besides a workers’ rally the event included a bike parade. It was joined by hundreds of workers. The Dabindu Collective released this May Day statement.
The Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Kiel reports the following:
On May Day, the international day of struggle for the working class, we too took to the streets alongside @fau_flensburg and @stadtteilladenanniwadle for better working conditions and against the capitalist system and its devastating consequences.
With their attacks on the eight-hour working day and regressive social policies, the ruling parties are once again making it clear whose side they are on. We, as the working class, must stand together and fight against this! #1May #tradeunion
Our response to attacks from above: organising from below!
Comrades of the Libertarian Syndicalist Union (ESE) put up posters in three different languages and joined the May Day rally of the radical left together with groups such as the Libertarian Student Group in Komotini, who made the banner.
In the city of Lรผbeck the local syndicate of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) arranged its own antiauthoritarian May Day rally together with Schwarze Scharen Lรผbeck (in Engl. Black Band), Reso.Media, the house project Marlene as well as the antifa choir Lรผbeck. It was joined by several hundred people.
Magdeburg
The Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Magdeburg organised its own May Day rally and shared this report:
With over 150 colleagues, we took to the streets on our day of class struggle.
Through speeches, leaflets and singing together, we were able to draw attention to the current and past struggles of our movement and trade union. There were speeches, for example, from the Tea Workersโ Union Centre in Bangladesh and the student union โSchwarze Roseโ, as well as talks on militarism and what syndicalism actually is.
It is another milestone for our union to have held a May Day demonstration for three years running, even if the numbers of participants fluctuate. This also allows us to welcome new members once again.
For us, however, it is not just May Day that is a day of struggle, but the whole year.
Join the union and organise yourselves. Whether at work or in your neighbourhood.
Munich
Report as published by the comrades on the ground:
As last year, (Queer) Feminist Strike Munich, Solidarity Network Dachau and FAU Munich issued an invitation to the May Day rally at Weiรenburger Platz. The idea of having workers from different workplaces speak about their daily lives and struggles is not merely a complement to long, meandering marches and reformist or supposedly revolutionary platitudes. It is about making the everyday class struggle beneath the surface directly visible through the workers themselves. This year, the context was broadened with two international contributions. The event began with a recorded statement by a worker from Bangladesh speaking out against exploitation in the tea industry.
A report on the negotiations regarding the collective agreement TV-L and conditions at universities was followed by a report from Helios Klinikum Dachau, where staff, following a weeks-long struggle, have for the time being prevented nursing staff from being assigned the task of making beds. During this struggle, which involved workplace actions, open letters, panel discussions and a petition with over 3,000 signatures, they also built links with the striking bus drivers in Dachau. Others talk about alliances at the grassroots level within the workplace; here, they simply took matters into their own hands. […]
The keynote speech at the (Queer) Feminist Strike began by examining the cuts to social services and the condescending language of recent weeks, such as โlifestyle part-time workโ, and highlighted the fundamental importance of unpaid care work for the survival of the capitalist system. This is precisely the reason for part-time work; patriarchy and capitalism are two sides of the same coin. This yearโs 8 March in Munich, with 7,000 people at the demonstration, shows that this issue remains right at the top of the agenda.
Against the backdrop of increasing wars and military attacks, militarisation was addressed from a class perspective, particularly as Bavarian industry is heavily influenced by the arms sector and an increasing number of Bavarian automotive suppliers are switching their production to arms manufacturing. The fact that, in times of crisis and war, workers have their sights set on egalitarian and emancipatory demands and a reorganisation of society that is directed against the ruling authorities was made clear by a statement read out by the Iran Labour Confederation, which continues to uphold a revolutionary process. That is what it is all about: โNo matter where we come from, we stand together,โ wrote the hospital workers on their solidarity poster for the bus drivers. That is how it is! Regionally and internationally!
The Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) has been supporting the coordinations on the Global May Day platform for several years. Also this year the call was supported by the FGWM.
The fascist junta keeps attacking civil society and rebel groups uphold the resistance against the regime. This makes organising and labour union activities particularly challenging. But comrades of FGWM are not giving up and arranged these May Day activities:
#1 – May Day statement
The FGWM released a statement this May Day pushing for 11 demands/goals. A focal point is the struggle for a minimum daily (8 hours) wage of 20,000 Kyat (approx. 8 EUR).
On this 140th International Workersโ Day, the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) pledges to strive toward achieving democracy in our country and the formation of workers-led labor unions in the workplaces.
More than 130 years ago, workersโ fight for the right to โ8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, and 8 hours of leisureโ still remains a struggle for factory workers in Myanmar today. Under various forms of oppression from employers and the state, workers must labor for more than 12 hours a day just to survive. Furthermore, current daily wages are insufficient to cover the costs of living due to skyrocketing commodity prices.
Myanmarโs industrial zones, which remain under military rule, have become primary sites for systemic exploitation and oppression. Employers systematically enforce forced labor, utilize child labor, and crush attempts to organize workplace labor unions. In addition, they divide the workforce through various means, exploiting legal loopholes to form employer-led labor organizations (yellow unions) as a tool for suppression.
The FGWM called on workers to submit inputs on their daily struggles anonymously.
๐ข Call to join the โOur May Day, Our Voiceโ campaign
โLabour rights are not a bonus, they are a human rightโ
In these times, all working people are struggling to get by, facing injustice, rising prices, and various forms of oppression. In these difficult times, there is much that you may want to say and feel.
That’s why, this May Day, we will be coming together to give a voice to the true feelings and sentiments of the working class. We invite you to join this campaign to collectively shout out the feelings of the working class for all to hear.
How can you get involved in the movement?
๐ 1. Write your message from the heart
Write down your aspirations, a message for the working class, or a feeling from your heart on a piece of paper.
๐ธ 2. Record and send an audio file (or video)
Hold up a piece of paper with a message you’ve written that you want to share with the public and your fellow workers. It can be a wish, a feeling, or anything you’d like to say. Make sure to include one of your work tools (e.g., a sewing machine, scissors, a wheel) or with your workplace (3 to 5 minutes). You can also record and submit short video clips of yourself holding a written document with the message, wish, or feeling you want to share with the public and your fellow workers.
๐ฅ 3. Submit your message
Photos and videos can be sent via the Facebook page messenger of the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) from today, 28th April, until the 1st.
Share your heartfelt voices. Join the campaign.
We believe that through this campaign, the voices of the working people will be heard in unison and become a driving force for change. โโจ
FGWM called on workers to submit their demands from inside the factories:
The voices of the working class will not be silenced! These are the heartfelt demands of individual workers. โ๐ข
These images, submitted as part of the May Day campaign, represent the oppression in the workplace, insufficient wages, and the real lives of the working class. While the demands of each individual may differ, the hope of all workers is the same: โjusticeโ.
Let us unite these voices and fight against injustice together. ๐ฉโโจ
The 140th International Workers’ Day, or May Day, was commemorated in Mae Sot on May 1st through a joint ceremony organised by a coalition of five allied organisations. During the event, the alliance issued a formal declaration outlining a six-point list of demands. At the ceremony, insights regarding the current conditions, hardships, and challenges faced by domestic workers were shared. A specific focus was on the difficulties and lack of workplace safety that women workers are currently enduring.
List of demands:
Immediately cease the forced recruitment of workers into military service, as well as the arbitrary arrests, portering, and all forms of forced labour within the workplace.
Guarantee the right to freedom of association and the liberty to operate for labour organisations, and to immediately cease the formation of “yellow unions.โ
The unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained workers and political prisoners.
Establishment of safe workplaces that are in full compliance with international human rights standards.
Holding international brands accountable for ensuring that workers receive a living wage in accordance with international labour standards.
Ensuring that migrant workers have the right to work safely and establishing protections against the deportation of detained workers for the purpose of forced military conscription.
These constitute the six collective demands issued during the event.
Participating organisations:
Myanmar Industry Crafts and Services Trade Unions Federation (MICS-TUsF)
Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM)
Labour Rights Defenders & Promoters (LRDP)
Letโs Help Each Other โ LHEO
Progressive Labor Community – PLC
The call for Global May Day 2026 was also endorsed by Sisters 2 Sisters, a feminist organisation supporting struggles in Myanmar and beyond:
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Cyprus mobilised to a strike gathering on the รetinkaya Soccer field. They share the following report:
On May 1st 2026, 140 years since the original May Day, Wobblies from all over Cyprus gathered at the รetinkaya Soccer field in the buffer zone to celebrate the struggles of the international worker movement!
Along with fellow workers from the anarchist movement of the island, we set up a table of material, distributed our texts to the Turkish-speaking workforce of the north, and gave a strong message that there is an alternative to the complacent and failing model approach of the traditional trade unions!
This was followed with an event at a nearby park, a gathering place for the migrant workforce of the capital, where we shared short presentations of the most important recent labour struggles in the south and the north.
As the international statement of our organisation says, โ(t)he idea that workers have no country, that we are workers of the world, is written into the DNA of May Dayโ. True to this idea, and against all those who wish us divided, workers from all over the island, native and migrant, Cypriot, Greek and Turkish, came together, talked, danced, sang and laughed together once more on this day of celebration, remembrance, and, most importantly, commitment. The commitment to continue to stand by each other, stand up for our rights, stand tall and stand firm against the current all-out assault of the capitalist system!
Until the wage system is abolished, an Injury to One is an Injury to All!
Dozens of people joined the radical May Day rally in Norkรถpping. The anarcho-syndicalist labour union SAC in Sweden supported the call for Global May Day 2026 and mobilised in cities across the country.
Report from the All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions (APFUTU) as submitted to the Global May Day mailing list:
Labour Day remains a symbol of resistance and struggle in Pakistan. APFUTU reaffirmed its commitment to continue advocating for workersโ rights and called on the government to take meaningful action to ensure fair wages, legal protection, and dignity for all workers.
During the main rally in Gujrat, APFUTU General Secretary Zia Syed addressed workers, stating that:
The working class in Pakistan continues to struggle for recognition and rights.
Pakistan remains a difficult environment for workers and trade unions due to lack of representation in parliament.
Workersโ organizations are forced to independently raise their voices against capitalist political forces.
On International Workers’ Day, the All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions organized rallies across Pakistan to raise a strong voice for workersโ rights. The central demands included safe and secure jobs, an end to the privatization of government institutions, and better protection for laborers.
Workers face increasing pressure due to:
Rising inflation and taxes
Low wages despite high living costs
Weak implementation of labor laws
Industrialists ignoring government regulations
APFUTU also criticized recent policies, noting that the Punjab governmentโs minimum wage notificationโwithout proper piece-rate adjustmentsโhas negatively impacted technical workers.
The organization continues to push for:
Elimination of child, bonded, and forced labor
Living wages adjusted to inflation
Free healthcare and education for workers
Social justice, dignity, and enforcement of labor rights
APFUTU highlighted several critical issues:
Rising poverty, unemployment, and child labor due to weak labor protections
Lack of consultation with trade unions in law-making processes
Labor laws often favor employers, enabling the creation of โyellow unionsโ
Laws are mostly in English, limiting workersโ understanding and access to benefits
APFUTU demanded that all labor-related laws be translated into Urdu and regional languages to ensure accessibility for workers.
Paris
The National Confederation of Labour in France (CNT-F) also mobilised to the libertarian May Day rally in Paris.
After the rally they shared the below pictures and simply stated:
1 MAY 2026 ๐ฃNO WAR BETWEEN PEOPLES! NO PEACE BETWEEN CLASSES! ๐ฃ AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DOMINATION, FOR A REVOLUTIONARY TRADE UNION MOVEMENT!
The Federation of Cascadian Anarchists & Syndicalists (FCAS) has been connecting its May Day activities with the coordinations on Global May Day since 2023. And so they did this year again and shared the following report with the GMD mailing list:
It’s so amazing to see everyone’s actions across the world. Thank you for all helping to make May Day this year memorable.
Members of the Federation of Cascadian Anarchists & Syndicalists took part in multiple May Day actions in Portland, OR this year. One of these actions was a large labor & community organization rally and march – formally endorsed by more than 94 different organizations from the local community. The event drew thousands, and was a solid demonstration of the working class solidarity which continues to grow in the city. Our members took part assisting multiple tables at the rally, and also helped support those providing medical aid to both the rally & the hours-long march.
Apologies for the lack of photos this year, hopefully we’ll have some to share next year ๐
Rio de Janeiro
For the first time the initiative Associaรงรฃo de Trabalhadores de Base in Rio de Janeiro supported a call of Global May Day. They commemorated May Day by opening their own space:
Yesterday, in the Marรฉ favela complex in Rio de Janeiro, we held the inauguration of the ATBโs operational base in this area. This initiative is helping to consolidate revolutionary trade unionism in working-class and peripheral neighbourhoods. Our aim is to promote self-management and organise workers from an anti-capitalist and class-based perspective.
Ruhr describes a whole region in the west of Germany. The Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Ruhr mobilised in two different cities: Dortmund and Duisburg.
They share the following report (translated from German to English):
In Dortmund and Duisburg, we didnโt just take part in the marches; later on, we also joined the street parties at the Union Salon and Syntopia, where we chatted with lots of old and new friends about our working and living conditions. Once again, it became clear that weโre never alone with our problems โ we just need to talk to one another and organise together against the daily grind of exploitation! Whether at the demonstration in Duisburg or the wage survey in Dortmund, we were able to build momentum and strike up conversations with lots of interested people! #tradeunion #dortmund #duisburg #1may #globalmayday
The IWW Seattle shared the following report through the Global May Day mailing list:
The Seattle General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) joined Global May Day and a broad local coalition of labor unions and immigrant rights groups in a May Day mobilization.
In April, the IWW called on its members to participate in the annual May Day demonstration, promoting the action through social media and grassroots outreach. Members distributed posters featuring the Global May Day logo to build awareness and encourage participation.
On May 1, between ten and twenty IWW members gathered at Cal Anderson Park in Seattleโs Capitol Hill neighborhood. The group tabled with radical literature and information highlighting the anti-capitalist perspective within the broader labor movement.
Following the gathering, an IWW contingent marched in solidarity with thousands from across the region, proceeding to downtown Seattle as part of a unified call for workersโ rights and immigrant justice.
Spain
This year the CNT in Spain supported a call of the Global May Day network for the first time. The international relationship secretary shared the following report with the Global May Day mailing list:
Hello to all the organizations that make up #GlobalMayDay.
From CNT, we must congratulate ourselves on the great turnout at our May Day events, the International Day of the Working Class Struggle. In our case, the Spanish State, every year the anticapitalist left and alternative unionism organises about 75 demonstrations and rallies. This contrasts with the approximately 100 organised by mainstream unionism (CCOO and UGT).
CNT usually organises its own events together with other union and social forces. This year, CNT has launched about 45 calls throughout the territory. In many places it was jointly with other unions, while in some places it was alone. Adding up the attendance at all the demonstrations in which we participated, we can add up about 25,000 people, maybe more. We will highlight several demonstrations in which CNT had a very prominent participation:
Barcelona
Around 10,000 people joined the radical May Day rally in Barcelona, Catalunya:
CNT marks May Day with a major rally in Bilbao: solidarity with Tubos Reunidos and a call for grassroots trade union organisation
Hundreds of people marched along Gran Vรญa to Plaza Arriaga. The event culminated in a rally at which striking workers from Tubos Reunidos spoke. The speeches focused on the complaint regarding the redundancy plan at Tubos Reunidos and the companyโs public debt, alongside a call for the establishment of trade union branches in workplaces.
The first speech was given by members of the CNT trade union branch at Tubos Reunidos in Amurrio, a company currently facing a major labour dispute: management is proposing a redundancy plan that involves the dismissal of 240 people, the closure of the steelworks and the outsourcing of the logistics department, as well as the threat of filing for insolvency.
โThis is why we are fighting: against capitalist greed and the embezzlement of public funds, with the complicity of politicians from all parties,โ they stated. The CNT union branch at Tubos Reunidos champions anarcho-syndicalism as an organisational tool in opposition to the โcompromise-seekingโ approach it attributes to other strands of trade unionism.
Peace, work and revolution: the organisationโs statement
Aida Arroyo Noval presented the CNTโs statement for this May Day, structured around three key points: the condemnation of current working conditions as an expression of a system of structural exploitation; the rejection of war as an instrument serving economic and political interests alien to the working classes; and the call for a peace built on social justice and mutual support.
It called for civil disobedience in the face of unjust orders and for direct action as an alternative to reformism: โThere is no future without disobedience,โ reads one of its central tenets. The statement calls on the working class to organise from the bottom upโthrough grassroots unions, mutual aid networks, strikes and cooperativesโin the face of what it terms the โcapitalist offensiveโ in the workplace and on the geopolitical stage.
CGT, CNT, OSTA and IA rally in Huesca: โAgainst the wars of capital: trade union actionโ
On May Day, the city in Upper Aragon hosted a united demonstration condemning rearmament, precarious working conditions and the rise of the far right, emphasising collective organisation as the response.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS MAY DAY POSSIBLE! ๐ดโซ๏ธ
Yesterday we filled the streets of L’Hospitalet with dignity, struggle and community, thanks to everyone who came to the demonstration organised by the CNT of L’Hospitalet, @cntelprat and @cntcornellaicomarca
Special thanks to @sindicathospitalet, Korneya Without Borders and @baixllofeminista for your words during the march. We have shown that the working class is one and diverse, and when we are aware of our strength in this diversity, we are unstoppable ๐ช
Thanks to the general secretariat of the @sindicatocnt union for their words and for reminding us that 90 years ago this union proved that libertarian communism is possible, and it will be again.
And finally, thanks to Jesรบs for cheering us on with his voice and guitar at the end of the route. Your songs provided the soundtrack to our day, the day of the working class ๐ธ
Yesterday we showed that, despite repression, precarity and the rise of fascism, we are still here. Organised. Building community to leave the old world behind once again.
Against labour and social abuse, let’s build community! Long live the struggle of the working class! ๐ฅ Long live libertarian internationalism!
Iruรฑea
Video footage of the radical May Day rally in Iruรฑea.
Theme: Letโs stand up for our rights today to build the free society of tomorrow!
May Day brings 400 protesters to the streets of Sabadell
The organisers focus on housing, wages and the state of public education as the main themes of the demonstration.
Various flags marked the May Day demonstration in Sabadell, where around 400 people, according to Municipal Police estimates, marched through the streets demanding social, labour and educational improvements. From Plaรงa d’Espanya to Plaรงa de les Dones del Tรจxtil, a sea of flags โ from trade unions and organisations such as CGT, CNT, COS and Corrent Roig, as well as social and educational bodies โ fluttered to the rhythm of chants and placards.
CNT, Intersindical and COS have celebrated today in Valencia the first unitary demonstration on the occasion of May Day, International Labor Day, bringing together thousands of people for labor rights and against the policies of war deployed in different parts of the world such as Palestine, Libya, Venezuela and Iran.
During the march, which was joined by other groups such as PAH Valencia, student unions, BDS Valencia, the Koordinadora kolectivo parke and Valรจncia no estรก en venda, amongst others, the organising bodies highlighted the need to restore the purchasing power of the working class and tackle job insecurity. Seven out of ten young people under the age of 30 continue to live with their parents; among those over 25, the figure stands at 54 per cent. Job insecurity and the lack of housing policies are the main causes.
Wages are insufficient to keep pace with the rising cost of living, particularly in areas such as housing, energy and the cost of groceries. Furthermore, the trade unions have also highlighted the gradual erosion of workersโ rights over recent decades. The march, which attracted a huge crowd despite the inclement weather, served to publicise the indefinite strike in the education sector in the Valencian Community, which begins on 11 May and is prompted precisely by the poor working conditions faced by teachers.
The protest also included criticism of international conflicts and the impact these have on working people. The CNT emphasised its opposition to wars and to policies which, it argued, benefit a minority at the expense of the majority of society. It also called for the need to move towards public policies that guarantee high-quality essential services, such as healthcare, pensions and social protection.
Another key focus of the protest was the defence of the local area and the urgent need to take action in the face of the climate crisis. The organisations warned of the impact that extreme weather events and certain urban planning policies have on living conditions, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, as demonstrated by the case of Dana.
The march also placed particular emphasis on defending the rights of women and migrants, the latter being particularly vulnerable to all forms of institutional violence.
The demonstration concluded with a series of speeches in Plaza de la Virgen and a community meal, which went ahead despite the rain.
Valladolid
The local syndicates of CNT and CGT mobilised to a May Day rally:
The report of the CNT international relations secretary continues:
This year, CNT’s reasons were to fight against imperialism and its predatory wars, as well as to make it clear that the capitalist world is collapsing. We highlight the need to build our new world, the liberated society, right now, without waiting any longer. We leave you the link to our confederal statement “May 1st: Run, comrade! The old world is behind us”: cnt.es.
In any case, everywhere we denounced precariousness, the lack of access to housing (which constitutes the main problem of the working class), and the everโwidening gap between rich and poor, which condemns the working class to a meagre existence and to being poor and precarious even when they have a job.
We wish you a great year of collective struggles and anarchoโsyndicalism. Long live the Social Revolution!
CNT Spain
Stockholm
Around 3,000 people joined the radical May Day rally in Stockholm. The anarcho-syndicalist labour union SAC in Sweden supported the call for Global May Day 2026 and mobilised in cities across the country.
Sylhet is a bigger city in the very east of Bangladesh, surrounded by tea plantations. Over 150 tea estates, including historic plantations dating back to the 1800s, dominate the region’s scenery and economy. Last year the Tea Workers’ Trade Union Center (TWTUC) held its very first national conference.
For the first time the TWTUC also joined Global May Day coordinations, supporting the call for Global May Day 2026.
Ahead of May Day Monisha (TWTUC) recorded a short message introducing the struggle of tea workers, which was played at May Day rallies in different parts of the world.
Here is the report as shared on the Global May Day mailing list:
On May 1st at 9:00 AM, over a thousand tea workers gathered at the Khadim Tea Estate in Sylhet, Bangladesh, for a massive procession and rally organized by the Tea Workers’ Trade Union Centre to mark May Day. The event was moderated by central coordinator Monisha Wahid and presided over by the organization’s president, Sabuj Tanti, with keynote speeches delivered by chief coordinator S.M. Shubho, office secretary Dipto Nayek, and labor leaders such as Sushanta Chasa of the Burjan tea factory and Gagan Nayek. In the presence of central committee vice president Kiran Bauri and assistant general secretary Anita Basak, the leadership paid solemn tribute to the martyrs of the Chicago Hay market movement and all those who have historically struggled for labor rights.
The rally served as a platform to demand a 10-point charter, specifically calling for a minimum daily wage of 600 BDT, permanent land rights, and full civic entitlements including quality education and healthcare. Expressing deep solidarity with the global labor movement, the workers carried placards emblazoned with slogans like “Global May Day” and “One World, One Struggle,” uniting our local fight for dignity with the universal cause of the working class.
โDipto Nayek โPress Secretary โTea Workers Trade Union Centre
Uppsala
Hundreds of people joined the radical May Day rally in Uppsala. The anarcho-syndicalist labour union SAC in Sweden supported the call for Global May Day 2026 and mobilised in cities across the country.
Hundreds of people joined the radical May Day rally in Uppsala. The anarcho-syndicalist labour union SAC in Sweden supported the call for Global May Day 2026 and mobilised in cities across the country.
For the first time the labour union Sindikasi Jogja (Yogyakarta) supported a call for Global May Day. They joined the May Day rally together with other unions and delivered the following message:
This is our third year celebration Mayday with the Workers Front after creating the commitment to build a Sindikasi Jogja union. The Workers Front gathers unions from any background in Jogja whenever there is an emergency workers conflict or to hold MayDay celebrations. While we a non factory and creative industry union, we are joining and stand side by side with our comrades from factory and any shop in this area. Long live workers unity, together we are strong!
