1st May: International Workers' Day Celebrated around the Globe

 

Ajay Roy

International Labour Day is celebrated worldwide on 1st May. Trade Unions and workers' organisations organised mass rallies and meetings. They remembered the martyred workers who fought for an 8-hour workday in Chicago, USA, in May 1886. The Haymarket incident inspires us to carry on the struggle now, when workers' rights and dignity are under attack across the globe. 

Monopoly capitalism is following neo liberal globalisation. The imperialist war is destroying many countries. The US-Israeli force is attacking Iran. Trying to capture its oil resources has created an oil crisis. As a result, the price rise is decreasing real wages more.

Capitalism's systemic crisis is intensifying. The ruling class is trying to impose the burden on working people. When the working class and toiling masses are rallying on the street, protesting and organising themselves, the ruling class is trying to suppress them violently. They are using state power to do so. Activists are arrested and beaten.

In India, the Modi government has imposed the four labour codes, which became fully operational by 1st April. They are increasing work hours and curtailing minimum wages, social safety, and the right to form labour unions. Against this, protest movements and strikes are taking place across India.

Contractual and gig workers are also suffering severely. Modern technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, is used in ways that result in job losses. Workers are exploited more. This type of modern slavery is introduced in countries around the globe.

In fact, inequality is increasing worldwide. According to the "World Inequality Report 2026" published by UNDP, the richest 10 per cent of the world's population now holds nearly 75% of all wealth. But the poorest half of the global population has only 2%. In most countries, the bottom half of the population rarely holds more than 5% of national wealth.

According to the ILO's recent global report, annually, 840,000 people die due to long work hours, job insecurity, and harassment at the workplace, which damages their physical and mental health. 

So, workers must unite and strengthen their struggle. Alliances between workers and peasants are also necessary. 

In India, the Hindutva-fascist Modi regime is also violating workers' and people's rights. They are paving the path for corporate looting of natural and labour resources.

Workers must fight. For that, as May Day teaches us, workers need determination and sacrifice. That can be achieved through continuous study and practical implementation in the context of class struggle. As inter-imperialist conflict increases, the struggle between the bourgeoisie and labour is also intensifying. Workers must take this opportunity. They must increase class struggle and establish socialism by moving beyond capitalism. Thus, May Day is still very relevant.

For this, workers must be both physically and mentally strong. Remoulding activists' minds is necessary to strengthen the organisation. Various traditional methods are available to do so. We must use them optimally.

We can discuss our ideas in organisational meetings, informal group discussions, and one-to-one interactions. Can share experiences. Build an organisational atmosphere that supports democracy and balances it with centralism. At the same time, build a positive culture. That can support critical thinking and creative thinking. Must build a growth mindset. That ensures the lifelong learning mindset.

Psychological fitness is essential in the ranks of the workers' organisation to build militant revolutionary organisations and movements. New techniques for developing innovative thinking must be learned and practised.

We must take advantage of modern neuroscientific advances to change our mentality, thought patterns, and belief systems. We can learn at any age. The capitalist consumerist culture is decaying the revolutionary values.

The current crisis is also creating despair. But we cannot afford pessimism now. We must cultivate hope and encourage innovative ideas that will strengthen workers’ and oppressed peoples' movements.

Activists should acquire professional expertise and learn to use modern technology effectively to become experts. But alongside this, we must also be red, i.e., equipped, well educated, and conscious of revolutionary ideology, i.e. MLM. Must be red and expert.

Everyone should develop personally through self-cultivation. Also, combine personal development with organisational development. and technical development. To counter capitalist machinery, we must be equally equipped. We should adopt effective tools even from our class enemies and develop them further to destroy this exploitative capitalist system and build a better alternative, i.e., scientific socialism.

For example, to counter the bourgeois media campaign, workers and left activists cannot rely much on outside experts. But organisations must make our cadres experts.

We cannot constrain ourselves to the limited beliefs that workers' organisations have only certain forms and functions. To undertake the complex tasks ahead to achieve rights and dignity for workers and oppressed people, we must be developed both in quality and quantity. 

Dt. 01.05.2026