May Day is almost here. The official date is 1 May. The firs marches on this day began in Melbourne over the Eight-Hour Day in Melbourne. This will be commemorated on the day at the Eight-Hour Day Monument at the corner of Russell and Victoria Street at the edge of the city.

Melbourne’s rally and march will take place on Sunday 4 May.

 

May Day became an international day for workers’ rights after the killing of unionists at Haymarket in the United States. Since then, it has been an occasion to some up experience and chart a way forward. This year, this is more important than it has been for a long time. The monopoly capitalist west, including Australia, is in a deepening and serious crisis encompassing the economy and politics.

The cost-of-living crisis is bighting deeper, extending economic war led by Biden before and now Trump administration in Washington, in the service of powerful factions of Wall Street, are engaged in economic war, and pose a growing threat of devastating war. All this at a time when the planet faces an existential climate crisis.

With this comes the shift of those who hold political power towards imposing the crisis on society, increasingly through repression and violence, and this threatens to take us down the road to fascism. There is a systematic attack on the union movement, aimed to push down working conditions and wages.

All this and more is the context in which May Day take Pace this year. There are enormous challenges.

Meanwhile, Australia is becoming increasingly disgruntles over the failure of our so-called political leaders to act. Disillusionment with them and the political system in which they operate is leading towards greater political instability. Nothing illustrates their bankruptcy more than their connivance with the holocaust ibn Gaza, and their servile attitude to Washington.

More people are looking for answers, and ultimately, it is up to all of us to make a difference. May Day is one shot in this direction. May Day can help to popularise a different way to run Australia, for people first, and not the big end of town.

Everyone should participate.