From Haiti to Kenya, Nepal and Palestine, hundreds of thousands of workers and their families celebrated International Workers Day last week, honoring the dignity of work and the accomplishments of the labor movement in defending human rights, job stability, fair wages and safer workplaces. Together, workers and their unions demonstrated their commitment to sustaining and improving worker lives.
Here is a roundup of May Day events by Solidarity Center allies around the globe.
[Above: In Jordan, leaders of the Domestic Workers Network (DWN) rallied in support of migrant domestic and agricultural workers and against gender-based violence at work, the kafala system—in which migrant worker visas are tied to a specific employer—and a new labor law they say is unacceptable.]
Georgia, May Day 2019. Credit: GTUC
3,000 union members gathered in front of the government chancellery in Tbilisi, Georgia, requesting that the prime minister sign a social contract between citizens and the government whereby government accepts the responsibility of ensuring social equality and democracy in the country.
Guatemala, May Day 2019. Credit: Maria Elena Sabillon Paz, Solidarity Center
Haiti, May Day 2019. Credit: Reginald Lafontant, GOSTTRA
Honduras, May Day 2019. Credit: Red Contra La Violencia AntiSindical
May Day 2019, Burma (Myanmar). Credit: .Jamie Davis/Solidarity Center
Kenya, COTU-K youth celebrate May Day 2019. Credit: ITUC-Africa
Maldives, May Day 2019. Credit: Sonia Mistry, Solidarity Center
On May Day, unions campaigned for an ILO convention to stop gender-based violence at work in the Maldives, as well as new legislation to ensure freedom of association and promote better occupational safety and health.
Nepal, May Day 2019. Credit: Joint Trade Union Coordination Center (JTUCC)
In Kathmandu, approximately 3,500 members from 27 affiliate unions participated in a May Day rally organized by the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) under the slogan: “Decent work for sustainable development: Strengthen democracy and prosperity.”
Nigeria, May Day 2019. Credit: Craig Phelan, Solidarity Center
Palestine, May Day 2019. Credit: Solidarity Center
More than 1,000 union members from cities in the West Bank gathered in Ramallah to rally under the slogan: “Freedom, dignity and social justice .”
Members and supporters of the Kurdistan United Workers Union (KUWU) rally outside Parliament in support of a new labor law. Kurdistan, Iraq, May Day 2019. Credit: Soran Fareeq, Solidarity Center
Members and supporters of the Kurdistan United Workers Union (KUWU) rallied outside Parliament in support of a new labor law.
Kyrgyzstan, May Day 2019. Credit: Lola Abdukadyrova, Solidarity Center