Labour Day: From the Haymarket Uprising to India’s Kamgar Divas

Each spring, countless nations pause to honor the contributions, struggles, and solidarity of working people. Known variously as Labour Day, International Workers’ Day, or simply May Day, May 1st has become a global emblem of workers’ rights. Yet the meaning of this date has evolved over more than a century: from the bloodied streets of 19th century Chicago to the festive processions of modern India, Labour Day embodies both the historic victories and the ongoing challenges of labour movements worldwide. 

In the latter half of the 19th century, industrial expansion in the United States brought unprecedented economic growth and unrelenting hardship for factory and railroad workers. Twelve to sixteen hour days in dangerous conditions fostered a growing labour movement demanding a more humane standard: eight hours for work, eight for rest, and eight for what one will.

On May 1, 1886, some 350,000 workers in cities from Boston to San Francisco struck for exactly that. The epicenter was Chicago, where nearly 40,000 participated in mass rallies and parades. Three days later, during a peaceful gathering at Haymarket Square, an unknown assailant hurled a bomb into the crowd, killing officers and provoked a chaotic police response. The “Haymarket Affair” resulted in the death of up to a dozen workers and police and led to the controversial trial and execution of four labour activists  later immortalized as martyrs to the cause.

Though tragic, Haymarket galvanized international labor solidarity. It illustrated both the ruthlessness with which authorities could suppress workers’ demands and the extent to which labour rights would shape modern political movements.

In 1889, two years after Haymarket, the Second International, an association of socialist and labour parties convening in Paris, formally designated May 1 as International Workers’ Day. The goal was clear: to commemorate the Haymarket martyrs and to maintain pressure on governments and employers for fairer working conditions.

By May 1, 1890, the first global demonstrations unfolded. In Europe, banners reading “Eight hours or none!” unfurled across capitals; in Latin America and Australasia, unions organized marches and strikes. May Day rapidly became a focal point for workers’ agitation, as well as a symbol of solidarity transcending national borders.

In countries with socialist or communist governments, May 1 took on grand official status. The Soviet Union staged massive military and labour parades in Moscow’s Red Square; China, Cuba, and North Korea likewise elevated the date as a showcase of state power and workers’ unity. Even outside such contexts  across Scandinavia, Western Europe, and parts of the Commonwealth, May Day evolved into a public holiday, often blending labour rallies with traditional spring festivities.

Today, over 80 countries observe May 1 as Labour Day. While some  like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada  shift the celebration to the first Monday in May or September (in Canada’s case to mirror the U.S.), the vast majority retain May 1. The day remains a living tradition of marches, speeches, community fairs, and often renewed calls for decent wages, safety regulations, and social justice.

In colonial India, early labour activism intersected with the rising tide of nationalist sentiment. By the 1920s, trade unions were coalescing in port cities and industrial hubs, and leaders sought to align workers’ economic demands with broader political goals.

On May 1, 1923, Madras (present day Chennai) hosted India’s first May Day rallies, organized by Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar and the short lived Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan. Chettiar unfurled the red flag at public meetings near the High Court and at Triplicane Beach, calling for the eight hour day and urging solidarity between workers and peasants. Though modest in scale  some reports cite a few hundred participants, the event planted the seeds of what would become Kamgar Divas (Labour Day) in India.

Over subsequent decades, May 1 observances spread through the country’s burgeoning trade union network. Local unions in textile mills of Bombay, jute factories of Calcutta, and railway workshops of Howrah organized marches, public meetings, and strikes. Throughout the late colonial era, May Day signified not only labour grievances but also anti imperial solidarity: banners proclaimed that workers’ liberation in India was bound to the end of British rule.

After independence in 1947, India’s labour movement fragmented along political lines, but May 1 remained a unifying date. Various left leaning parties and major unions  including the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)  held rallies town by town. Although the central government did not declare May 1 a national holiday, several states  among them Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal  gazetted Labour Day, often pairing it with local anniversaries or cultural celebrations.

Today, Labour Day in India retains a dual character. In states that recognize it officially, workers receive a day off; in others, “Kamgar Divas” are marked more modestly during lunch hours or evening gatherings in union halls.
While May 1 in India may lack the universal holiday status enjoyed elsewhere, it thrives as a battleground for workers’ rights and social equity.

From the blood soaked rally at Chicago’s Haymarket to the measured speeches of Madras beach in 1923, Labour Day has woven itself into the fabric of international and Indian history. More than a day off, May 1 stands as an annual testament to the gains achieved  and the work that remains  in securing dignity, safety, and justice for workers. In an era of globalization, automation, and informal labor markets, the spirit of Labour Day rooted in solidarity across borders  remains as vital as ever. For scholars, activists, and policymakers alike, May 1 offers both a moment of reflection on past victories and a call to action for the future of work.