There was a time when the slave was required to work from sunrise to sunset without wages while the indentured labourer was, during a period of our history, penalised twice his daily wage when he absented himself from work for one day!

Elementary rights like sick leave, regulated working hours and paid holidays were unknown in those days. They are now a reality thanks to the struggle of men like trade unionists who sacrificed their lives on the altar of workers? dignity and humanity.

In 1884, for instance, the American labour federation adopted a resolution that, as from 1st May 1886, a legal day?s labour would not be longer than 8 hours. While most employers met with that request on that deadline, there were still some 340,000 unlucky workers whose working hours did not change.

Hundreds of thousands therefore went on strike on that very first day of May in Chicago, which was the main agitation centre. The police interfered brutally on 3rd May killing a protester and injuring many others. The following day the Chicago Labour Union called for a peaceful meeting at Haymarket to protest against police brutality. Yet, a bomb was thrown on the police by unknown troublemakers. One police officer was killed and many others severely wounded.

Eight union leaders stood a very unfair trial for the bomb blast. Five of them were hanged while the others were condemned to life imprisonment in spite of the lack of evidence against them. Some were even said to be at home when the bomb went out! They were from thereon referred to as the Haymarket martyrs, the very symbol of the working class struggle.

Unsurprisingly, the American delegation, which attended the 1889 International Socialist Congress in Paris, adopted 1st May as a workers? holiday to commemorate the ?martyrdom of the Chicago eight?. Though May Day may be linked to the tragic events of 1886, it has no link whatsoever with the distress code MAYDAY, which rather comes from the French m?aidez which means help me. It has rather been determining in the progress of workers? rights in history.

Named after the Roman goddess of Spring, Maia, May is the month of rejoicing, when flowers bloom to show that it was worth sowing in March! Fighters might have fostered the seeds that gave rise to the working conditions the world enjoys but that does not mean we should sleep on our laurels.

Justice and truth have to be cared for, otherwise corruption takes over. Workers need to always display responsible attitude towards both their rights and their duties. In so doing, truth is the only reliable yardstick.