Marking May Day 2021
by Niall Shanahan
 

Saturday 1st May marked the international celebration of workers for #MayDay2021. With public gatherings to mark the occasion prohibited this year, most celebrations and commemorations took place online.

 

Fórsa published this blog post by Hazel Gavigan about how the battle for decent work continues, and considers where we go from here.

 

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan acknowledged a May Day greeting card sent to the union by broadcaster Joe Duffy, thanking him for “keeping the flag flying for public health throughout” a tough year for workers.

 

Fórsa Cork posted this message marking Monday’s public holiday: “As we enjoy the bank holiday this Monday, let’s remember that basic rights such as the 8 hour day were only secured after trade unions waged a bitter struggle. These struggles are continuing around the world today. By supporting their struggles, we honour the legacy of May Day.”

 

May Day was marked in Ireland as a public holiday for the first time in 1994, marking the centenary of trade unionism in Ireland. This report from the RTE archive gives a flavour of how unions and government marked the occasion.

 

This short video looks at the history of May Day and extends a May Day greeting to members, friends and fellow trade unions.

 

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