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Labor Day in Spain
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Labor Day in Spain
Labor Day in Spain, known there as Día del Trabajador or Primero de Mayo, was first celebrated on May 1, 1889. The way in which Spaniards celebrate Primero de Mayo has varied greatly since then, due primarily to the Francoist State, which lasted from 1936 to 1975. After 4 decades of being prohibited, in 1978 the celebration was finally re-legalized and re-instated as a national holiday, and since then every Primero de Mayo has been marked by protests and manifestations all over the country, in which social advances are celebrated and workers’ rights are revindicated.
The date for Spain's Primero de Mayo has the same origin as International Workers' Day: the Haymarket affair in 1886 Chicago. Workers all over the United States had been asking for an 8-hour work day since April, and threatened a strike to begin on May 1 if employers did not compromise. In Chicago, the strike lasted an extra 3 days, and on May 4 turned into a violent clash between protestors and the police. A bomb that killed several policemen led to the imprisonment of over 30 and assassination of 5 accused civilians, which led to a serious discussion regarding workers’ rights by governments all over the world. Finally, in 1889, May 1 was declared International Workers' Day by the Socialist Workers Congress of the Second International. at a conference held in Paris That same year Spain celebrated its very first Día del Trabajador, which was adopted through two different routes by the Spanish labor movement: socialists throwing a ‘labor party’ in an attempt to support that sector of the population while avoiding violence, and anarchists calling a revolutionary strike.
For the first Día del Trabajador, the socialists were worried that there would not be enough participation on the signaled May 1, and were therefore planning on organizing the manifestation on Sunday, May 4 instead. Their concern turned out to be unnecessary, however, since the working class was already organizing itself for manifestations on May 1, as all had heard about the decision made at the conference held in Paris earlier in the year. The anarchists too were planning on having their protests on May 1, as that had been decided as International Workers' Day.
For Spain's first Primero de Mayo, two different manifestations occurred in Madrid, the socialist and anarchist, taking different routes. The socialists organized thousands of workers, who after a public meeting marched to the Council of Ministers to deliver their revindications, then dissolving into smaller protests. The anarchists also participated in public meetings before marching to deliver their revindications to the president of the Congress of Deputies.
The manifestations in Madrid did not involve any notable conflict, but other places in the country saw violence. Socialists in Basque Country had organized a series of acts for the first few days of May, which caused the layoff of many of the main leaders of the protests. This caused many workers to go on strike, leading to a general strike in the area. With more protests and violence, a state of war was declared in Basque Country and tensions did not start dying down until May 21. The socialists ended up obtaining a shorter work day, but one of their other goals, the suppression of canteens and barracks, would have to wait till next year. Anarchist presence in Valencia, Barcelona, Catalonia, and many others places also caused strikes and violence, causing owners to close factories and attracting Civil Guard intervention, but victory was not as clear here as it was for the socialist party.
Spain's first Día del Trabajador showed undeniable success, as even though specific gains were not seen everywhere, both the government and individual bosses become conscious of the fact that the working class needed attention. The violence brought on by the celebration, however, caused the Spanish government to prohibit public manifestations, which meant that Primero de Mayo in 1890 was much less exciting and mobilizing as it had been the year before. Respecting the law, socialists limited their day to a break from work and private celebration, while the anarchists maintained their one-day strike. The following year, however, it was declared that May 1 would be an international manifestation day, and in order to participate both groups would have to rethink their celebrations. With the intention of participating without breaking the law, the socialists decided to focus on fighting for labor laws and rights in celebrations that did not mention social revolutions, reiterating the importance of pacifism. Faced with the inability to protest and seek a revolution, from then on anarchists loss interest in participating in Primero de Mayo.
Even though el Día del Trabajador originated in 1889 in Spain, it was not declared an official holiday until 1931 with the beginning of the Second Republic. Largo Caballero, then Spain's Minister of Labor, had proposed that the date be made an official holiday, and within weeks of the Second Republic's proclamation the proposal was accepted. Upon acceptance, an estimated 300,000 people marched in Madrid led by the ‘Republic’ (represented by a girl dressed as such), ending where then president Niceto Alcala-Zamora celebrated ‘the end of social antagonism’. With this declaration, the complaints and requests of the workers from all over the country would go directly to the government, allowing a new ‘wave’ of public power.
In the middle of the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939, Franco abolished the holiday of Primero de Mayo with a decree on April 12, 1937, which also stated that a new holiday dedicated to “Trabajo Nacional,” or National Labor, would later be declared. In March 1938 the “Fuero del Trabajo,” or Code of Labor, was published, establishing that Spain would now celebrate a “Fiesta de la Exaltacion del Trabajo,” or Labor Praising Party, to be held on July 18, his birthday. Since the Republican zone was in no condition to hold real protests mid-war, for the next several years only small, secret acts (mostly in theaters) were held to celebrate the working class's fight against Franco's army.
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Labor Day in Spain
Labor Day in Spain, known there as Día del Trabajador or Primero de Mayo, was first celebrated on May 1, 1889. The way in which Spaniards celebrate Primero de Mayo has varied greatly since then, due primarily to the Francoist State, which lasted from 1936 to 1975. After 4 decades of being prohibited, in 1978 the celebration was finally re-legalized and re-instated as a national holiday, and since then every Primero de Mayo has been marked by protests and manifestations all over the country, in which social advances are celebrated and workers’ rights are revindicated.
The date for Spain's Primero de Mayo has the same origin as International Workers' Day: the Haymarket affair in 1886 Chicago. Workers all over the United States had been asking for an 8-hour work day since April, and threatened a strike to begin on May 1 if employers did not compromise. In Chicago, the strike lasted an extra 3 days, and on May 4 turned into a violent clash between protestors and the police. A bomb that killed several policemen led to the imprisonment of over 30 and assassination of 5 accused civilians, which led to a serious discussion regarding workers’ rights by governments all over the world. Finally, in 1889, May 1 was declared International Workers' Day by the Socialist Workers Congress of the Second International. at a conference held in Paris That same year Spain celebrated its very first Día del Trabajador, which was adopted through two different routes by the Spanish labor movement: socialists throwing a ‘labor party’ in an attempt to support that sector of the population while avoiding violence, and anarchists calling a revolutionary strike.
For the first Día del Trabajador, the socialists were worried that there would not be enough participation on the signaled May 1, and were therefore planning on organizing the manifestation on Sunday, May 4 instead. Their concern turned out to be unnecessary, however, since the working class was already organizing itself for manifestations on May 1, as all had heard about the decision made at the conference held in Paris earlier in the year. The anarchists too were planning on having their protests on May 1, as that had been decided as International Workers' Day.
For Spain's first Primero de Mayo, two different manifestations occurred in Madrid, the socialist and anarchist, taking different routes. The socialists organized thousands of workers, who after a public meeting marched to the Council of Ministers to deliver their revindications, then dissolving into smaller protests. The anarchists also participated in public meetings before marching to deliver their revindications to the president of the Congress of Deputies.
The manifestations in Madrid did not involve any notable conflict, but other places in the country saw violence. Socialists in Basque Country had organized a series of acts for the first few days of May, which caused the layoff of many of the main leaders of the protests. This caused many workers to go on strike, leading to a general strike in the area. With more protests and violence, a state of war was declared in Basque Country and tensions did not start dying down until May 21. The socialists ended up obtaining a shorter work day, but one of their other goals, the suppression of canteens and barracks, would have to wait till next year. Anarchist presence in Valencia, Barcelona, Catalonia, and many others places also caused strikes and violence, causing owners to close factories and attracting Civil Guard intervention, but victory was not as clear here as it was for the socialist party.
Spain's first Día del Trabajador showed undeniable success, as even though specific gains were not seen everywhere, both the government and individual bosses become conscious of the fact that the working class needed attention. The violence brought on by the celebration, however, caused the Spanish government to prohibit public manifestations, which meant that Primero de Mayo in 1890 was much less exciting and mobilizing as it had been the year before. Respecting the law, socialists limited their day to a break from work and private celebration, while the anarchists maintained their one-day strike. The following year, however, it was declared that May 1 would be an international manifestation day, and in order to participate both groups would have to rethink their celebrations. With the intention of participating without breaking the law, the socialists decided to focus on fighting for labor laws and rights in celebrations that did not mention social revolutions, reiterating the importance of pacifism. Faced with the inability to protest and seek a revolution, from then on anarchists loss interest in participating in Primero de Mayo.
Even though el Día del Trabajador originated in 1889 in Spain, it was not declared an official holiday until 1931 with the beginning of the Second Republic. Largo Caballero, then Spain's Minister of Labor, had proposed that the date be made an official holiday, and within weeks of the Second Republic's proclamation the proposal was accepted. Upon acceptance, an estimated 300,000 people marched in Madrid led by the ‘Republic’ (represented by a girl dressed as such), ending where then president Niceto Alcala-Zamora celebrated ‘the end of social antagonism’. With this declaration, the complaints and requests of the workers from all over the country would go directly to the government, allowing a new ‘wave’ of public power.
In the middle of the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939, Franco abolished the holiday of Primero de Mayo with a decree on April 12, 1937, which also stated that a new holiday dedicated to “Trabajo Nacional,” or National Labor, would later be declared. In March 1938 the “Fuero del Trabajo,” or Code of Labor, was published, establishing that Spain would now celebrate a “Fiesta de la Exaltacion del Trabajo,” or Labor Praising Party, to be held on July 18, his birthday. Since the Republican zone was in no condition to hold real protests mid-war, for the next several years only small, secret acts (mostly in theaters) were held to celebrate the working class's fight against Franco's army.