In Mexico,
the government’s failure to contain the recent Swine Flu outbreak has "conveniently" resulted in the
cancellation of May Day for the first time in the country's history. A recent
article in Monthly Review explains that independent workers’ unions in Mexico are now locked in a struggle
with the Mexican government and their often corrupt unions who oppose rallies
and demonstrations. In the height of the economic crisis and drug wars, many
Mexican workers still suffer unpaid layoffs.
Despite the Swine Flu epidemic, many corporations in Mexico have
ignored government calls for business to close. In a recent article,
Grupo Mexico, a mining
corporation, is sighted for the death of 65 miners at the Pasta de Conchos mine
on Feb. 19, 2006. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), Grupo Mexico
has no more regard for questions of public health than it does for workers
safety.
Although May Day is not celebrated throughout the US, New Orleans
saw over 100 day laborers and their supporters commemorating May Day with a
march and rally to demand an end to wage theft, intimidation from employers and
the police, unsafe working conditions and racism. "As human beings, we need to
be respected…We are being hurt physically and psychologically because we are
not being paid. Some people have not been paid for months" said Andy Richards,
a good friend of ILRF, in an article in the Washington DC Metro Council, AFL-CIO e-newsletter. Wage theft has
become a major problem in the US
particularly in post-Katrina New
Orleans, where the day laborer population has exploded
over the last four years.
So for many Americans, May 1st was "business as
usual" while many countries around the world celebrated. May Day, for those who
are unaware, is International Workers Day for some or Labor Day for others.
Created by trade unions, it is a day of opportunity for workers to come
together and celebrate their economic and social achievements. As a foreigner
to the US,
I was pretty surprised when there was no public holiday or celebration here. In
the US, Labor Day is celebrated with a federal holiday on the first Monday of
September; however, for most it is not thought of as a day for workers but
rather a day at home or last summer "cookout". "A 'business as usual' response
to the current (economic) crisis is not acceptable" said ITUC General Secretary
Guy Ryder, in a recent article that sheds light on layoffs and wage cuts. Feel free to express your views
about why May Day is not celebrated in the US, in a comment below.
ILRF is committed to freedom of association and the
effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining as recognized by
the ILO. In addition to upholding the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association,
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifically protects unions in Article
23, section 4, stating "Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions
for the protection of his interests." Click here to take action against the 5 main
companies in the US
that deny workers the freedom of association.