This day is marked every year on May 1st to recognize workers’ dignity and rights and honor the establishment of their rights.
Workers around the world celebrate this day like a festival. They organize events to demand their rights and put pressure on governments and employers.
In Nepal, too, many workers’ organizations are celebrating the day with different activities.
The history of May Day goes back to May 1, 1886, in Chicago, USA, when workers demanded “eight hours of work, eight hours of recreation, and eight hours of rest.” During this movement, a bomb exploded at Haymarket in Chicago, and the police fired at the crowd, killing seven workers. Despite the tragedy, the workers’ movement succeeded in gaining recognition.
Later, in 1889, labor organizations and leaders from around the world met in Paris and decided to observe May Day globally.
In Nepal, the first major workers’ movement took place in Biratnagar in 2003 BS (1946 AD), and after the political change in 2007 BS (1950 AD), the day began to be officially observed. Since the political change in 2046 BS (1990 AD), May Day has also been a public holiday in Nepal.
May Day was introduced in Nepal as a form of protest against the Panchayat system. According to the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), the first official celebration of May Day in Nepal was organized in 2019 BS (1962 AD) by the Nepal Mazdoor Sangh (Nepal Workers’ Association).
