May Day 2001
The First of May has been an important day for the international working
class since 1889 when the day was chosen to commemorate the massacre by
police of striking workers in the US city of Chicago.
The First of May is the day when the working class celebrates its class and
power and asserts its rights as separate and irreconcilable to those of the
capitalist class.
In the Asia Pacific region, massive industrialisation over the last 50 years
has seen the size of the working class grow by the millions. Faced with
repression in many countries, it has nevertheless been able to organise and
take actions to further its interests. The ability of the Asian working
class to express itself on the First of May has always been conditioned by
the relative strength of the political parties which represent it.
During the 1970's under the dictatorship of President Marcos, Philippine
workers were at the forefront of the anti dictatorship struggle and reached
the peak of their power in the mid 1980's. In those days, May Day in Manila
had become a massive show of force with international guests coming from
countries all around the world to express unity with the Filipino comrades.
In Korea, the working class had to reorganise itself after the defeats of
the early post war years under a series of repressive military regimes.
Notwithstanding huge losses, the workers began forming working class
organisations in the 1970's and by the mid 1980's were able to start
challenging the power of the military regimes. Even in the present the
Korean working class continues to face massive obstacles under the economic
ravages of capitalism and the repressive actions of the state.
Indonesia was the country in the post was era that had the strongest
organised working class of the region both at the industrial and political
level. The military coup of 1965 was accompanied by a two year long massacre
of the left which totally liquidated both the industrial and political
organisations of the workers. While this crime set back the working class by
decades, Indonesian workers nevertheless reorganised as the country went
through a long period of industrialisation. By the late 1990's, the
Indonesian working class was able to use its power to help in the overthrow
of the Soeharto dictatorship. The post Soeharto era sees a number of
political parties and workers' organizations, with May Day an important
symbol of the power of workers.
In the region two most populous countries, China and India, the working
class is currently facing very different political climates. In India, where
Communist parties have historically been strong and May Day has always been
celebrated, the intensifying pressures of capitalism are nevertheless
disorientating sections of the working class and leading them into the arms
of reactionary nationalist parties. In China, under a climate of
intensifying capitalist restructuring, workers are not only fighting back on
the shopfloor but are also trying to find new forms of political
organisations that will defend their interests.
In Australia, while May Day was celebrated every year, it was on a weekend
and not on the day itself. The year 2001 marks a turning point for the
Australian working class as a number of left wing organizations, as well as
militant unions and labour councils, have planned to rebuild May Day and
hold political rallies on the day itself.
While this process by Australian workers of using May Day to politically
assert their independence as a class is just beginning and still full of
contradictions, it is one necessary step in the strengthening of the
Australian working class. We hope that in the future, actions on May Day
will grow and be coordinated internationally around the region, as a truly
international day of working class power.
It is in this spirit that AAWL wishes to send solidarity greetings to all
those working class organization that are planning actions on May Day and to
wish success to your respective struggles. We hope that in the coming years
we will strengthen our relationships and support each other in the struggles
ahead.
We look forward to receiving your message of greetings to be read out at May
Day rallies in Australia.
In solidarity
Australia Asia Worker Links
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Australia Asia Worker Links
PO Box 264, Fitzroy Vic 3065 Australia
Tel: 61 3 9419 5045 Fax: 61 3 9416 2746
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Assn No: A1318 ABN: 82 920 590 967
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