More than commemorative, May 1st is a date of struggle. It was so at its origin in 1886, during a strike in Chicago, United States, when workers were assaulted, arrested and executed amid claims for reduction of daily journeys, which lasted up to 14 hours.
Historian and professor at the Dieese School of Labor Sciences, Samuel Fernando de Souza explains that the episode is known as the “Haymarket tragedy”. Workers claimed an 8 -hour journey and demonstrated unhealthy work spaces.
“These workers were harshly repressed, and several leaders were sentenced to death because of this revolt. And during the 1889 Socialist International, the date of May 1st as a day of struggle of the working class was decided, as well as honoring workers,” the historian explained.
Researcher at the Department of Sociology at the University of Brasilia (UnB) and research author to understand the challenges of work in the contemporary world, Laura Valle Gontijo recalls that the manifestation for reducing the journey in Chicago culminated with the explosion of a bomb at the site.
“This ended up being used as a justification for the police [de Chicago] Throw against protesters, leaving four dead and hundreds of prisoners and injured. Eight workers were accused of conspiracy, even without direct evidence; Seven were condemned to death; and several others to a penalty of 15 years in prison. One of those sentenced to death committed suicide in prison and four others were hanged. It is in memory of these workers that the date is celebrated, ”explains Laura Valle Gontijo.
Symbol
In Brazil, the date began to be celebrated around 1891 in some cities of Rio de Janeiro and, following, in Porto Alegre.
“It has always been a symbol of the organized workers’ movement, but later the date was widely disputed, in an attempt to reapply it symbolically,” said historian Samuel Fernando de Souza.
Samuel Fernando de Souza, professor at the Dieese School of Labor Sciences. Photo: Samuel Fernando/Personal Archive
According to Samuel, the idea was to give May 1st a more commemorative connotation to work than in defense of the worker, “to the point that, soon after the 1964 coup has emptied the trade union movement, being transformed into a date of celebration, a festive date, emptied of political content at that time that was of working class struggle”.
During the first government of Getúlio Vargas, from 1930 to 1945, May 1, until then Labor Day, was appropriate as Labor Day, when Vargas presented the laws of work protection and, in particular, the consolidation of Labor Laws itself (CLT).
“In the 1950s, when Vargas returns to power, he continues to use this date, usually to announce the increase in the minimum wage,” added Samuel.
New unionism
According to the historian, the use of the date is reversed again in the late 1970s, when there was a broad movement known as new trade unionism in Brazil.
“It was there that many of the symbols of the working class were resumed, amid the movements of ABC and metallurgists, which made Lula [posteriormente eleito presidente do Brasil] as a main figure and leadership in that moment of struggles for the working class. The date was again reappropriated for several acts against dictatorship and for the opening of politics, ”said the historian.
ABC Metallurgists make an act with social movements – Photo: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
Work or worker?
Researcher Laura Gontijo explains that by trying to transform Labor Day into Labor Day, Brazil’s ruling classes tried to prevent workers from being aware of the date as a fight for labor rights.
“They tried to turn May 1 into a meaningless date and without content, as if it were a mere celebration of something that, too, is not very clear what it is. What would be the day of labor? And why would there be a holiday on labor day? That would not make sense,” he added.
Professor at UnB Laura Gontijo is a researcher at the Department of Sociology and research author aimed at understanding the challenges of work in the contemporary world. Photo: Laura Valle Gontijo/Personal Archive
According to the researcher at UnB, something similar happens with women’s day.
“They try to turn it into a date of celebration of women, rather than an agenda of struggle for concrete demands. In the case of workers, the date currently aims to strengthen the struggle to reduce the workday; for better salaries; and for the end of the 6 × 1 scale, among other demands,” he argued.
Demand
In the evaluation of the researcher, the current demands of workers cover two special spectra. The first one, she said, is the maintenance of rights that have been constantly attacked by the country’s elites. There are also struggles aimed at expanding rights, it exemplifies.
“See this discussion that is now having at the STF [Supremo Tribunal Federal]in relation to pejotization. This worker hired as a legal entity is not protected by labor law, which determines, for example, the limitation of the working day, ”recalls Laura Gontijo.
She also cites the situation of those who provide service through digital platforms.
“There is no regulation of these platforms that put the individual to work all the time, while the body has physical conditions for work,” he warns.
Based on a survey of 2022, Laura Gontijo said application delivery workers worked an average of 47.6 hours per week.
Telework, Home Office or Remote Work – Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
“But in interviews with the workers, we found hours of up to 80 hours per week, something that is very close to what was done at the height of the Industrial Revolution, when you had no kind of work regulation.”
“We see, in these cases, that workers’ demand remains the same. In fact, we even observe a certain setback in this legislation and the situation of workers. Two centuries have passed and we continue to see workers doing an extremely long and excessive journey, far beyond the 44 hours per week provided for in the legislation,” said the researcher.
Also according to the researcher, much is due to the setback that union power has had in recent decades, which has also resulted in the increase in the number of harassment in the workplace, as well as physical and psychic diseases.
6 × 1
And it is in this scenario that the discussions have expanded such as the 6 × 1 scale, he adds, referring to the measure provided for in a bill that is being processed in the National Congress, predicting 2 days of weekly rest instead of 1 day.
“What is this debate in this scenario of so many companies, trades and industries with 6 × 1 scale workers? In many cases, there is not even a fixed day for time off. This makes even the day for the worker to stay with his family, to rest or even take care of domestic tasks. This is unsustainable. The 6 × 1 scale does not allow any social or leisure activity,” Laura Gontijo argued.
The result of this working day, according to UnB researcher, are devalued, unmotivated and subjected to extremely bad working conditions.
Reduction of Journey
“In recent years we have lived a scenario of historical devaluation of the minimum wage. The Brazilian worker receives very little and works too much. Not to mention the many hours spent daily on displacement, especially in the metropolises, something that should be counted as part of the workday,” said the researcher.
For these reasons, according to the researcher, the debates have also advanced in the direction of a reduction in the daily workday to 35 hours or 36 hours per week.
“This is a fundamental agenda of today. It is no use just putting the end of the 6 × 1 scale without establishing a limit of the daily journey,” he added.
Union centrals launch campaign to reduce the workday to 40 hours per week – Photo: Valter Camparanato/Agência Brasil
“Because on the 5 × 2 scale [com dois dias de descanso semanal] There is the risk of [os patrões] increase the number of hours worked per day, to have, as a result, the same number of hours worked [na semana]”, Complemented Laura Gontijo, defending that weekly and daily limits are set up, aiming at a scale of 36 hours weekly salary cut.
Resistance
Like what happened when Brazil ended slavery, many companies are resistant to changes that aim to make Brazilian labor legislation “less inhuman”.
“There is a lot of campaign of companies saying they will break, and that such changes would cause major problems. But see the example in France, which since 1998 has a 35 -hour workday, enabling workers more free time, whether to study, practice physical activities, or to live with their children and have quality of life with family,” explains the researcher.
Technologies and Mais-Valia
The truth, according to the researcher, is that, with new technologies, companies were more productive, but this benefit was not passed on to their employees.
Medical types on the computer, having its stethoscope next – Photo: National Cancer Institute/Unsplash/Prohibited Reproduction
“The level of productivity of companies has been increasing with the development of technologies and innovations. This should show that it is possible to maintain production, even with a decrease in the amount of hours worked. However, what we see is that this is not benefiting the worker. The workday is increasing even more,” said Laura Gontijo.
“The amount of surplus value [diferença entre o que é produzido pelo trabalhador e o que é pago pelo patrão ao trabalhador] It gets even bigger, because workers are working much more hours and productivity has been much greater. ”
“This proves that technology has not been used to improve the living conditions of the population, but to increase this exploitation,” he says.
This content was originally published on Worker Day: Understand the origin of May 1 holiday on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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