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by Upali S. Jayasekera
(May 01, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The bomb that killed a policeman and wounded 59 more at Haymarket Square in Chicago, America, whilst a meeting of striking workers was in progress in the night of 4th May 1886, resulted in violent prejudices and incitement against the work people.
As an aftermath of the bomb explosion in the night of 4th May, 1886 the police raided meeting halls, printing presses and private homes and saw to it that the raids were fertile. For, each day, they discovered ammunition, rifles, swords, cartridges, underground firing ranges, etc. The irony of those findings is that the workers had never used such ammunition at any time during their struggle. However, the police backed by the pulpit, the industrialists and wealthy merchants, were able to stimulate public hysteria and anger against the workers and anarchists in that manner.
Eight leading anarchists and revolutionaries were arrested over the Haymarket Square incident and brought to trial in an atmosphere of prejudice and were convicted of the murder of a policeman. Seven of the defendants were sentenced to death whilst the eighth was given a 15-year prison term. Two of those who appealed for clemency, had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. One escaped the scaffold by committing suicide before the date of execution whilst the four others who refused to plead for clemency were hanged on 11th November, 1887.
The defendants, the worker leaders were in fact convicted, not on conclusive evidence against them but under the misguiding influence of hatred towards the work people. They were convicted over the economic and social ideas they held on to and worked for and not for a murder committed by them proved by evidence. They paid the penalty for coming forward to safeguard worker interests.
The Haymarket incident and conviction of the eight anarchist leaders was a direct result of the struggle launched by the workers to obtain an eight-hour work day which was opposed by the industrialists and wealthy sections of the society, when a workday was anything between 12-16 hours.
Though the Haymarket incident and it’s aftermath posed a set back to the workers, initially, it opened the eyes of the world community to the plight of the workers. It is pertinent to record these words of defiance uttered by one of the convicted men before sentence was pronounced. Said George Engle: "I hate and combat, not the individual capitalist but the system that gives him those privileges. My greatest wish is that working men may recognize who their enemies are". That summed up the factual position.
It is this incident that the workers world over commemorate on May 1st every year.
The shorter workday movement culminating in the walk-out on 1st May 1886, the tragedy at the Haymarket Square in the night of 4th May 1886, the trial and conviction of eight strike leaders on tampered evidence had a great impact on working class thinking throughout the world. It stressed the necessity to mobilize working class power for the salvation of the workpeople, for them to win their due place in society and safeguard their rights.
This thinking brought about working class unity and trade unions, around which unity grew, have been vehicles of social change, safeguarding democracy and freedom. The unity of workers enabled them to improve their quality of life safeguarding their dignity. Trade Unions became the authentic voice of the workpeople.
Trade unions which came into existence in an atmosphere of hostility to begin with were considered as conspiracies. The laws did not permit the combination of workers. But through "Unity those obstacles were overcome and trade unions came to be accepted. The situation of hostility in the passage of time changed to one of toleration due to necessity. This with the strengthening of the trade union movement, changed to one of partnership especially in the more advanced countries and to a certain extent in developing countries where democracy prevailed.
But 120 year later today the situation is being reversed. The workers are being cornered to their earlier positions where they were considered a mere commodity in the labour market. The workers face the threat of losing their rights which were wrested through struggles, sacrifices and martyrdom. Several reasons contribute to this.
The first of these is the fragmentation of the labour movement into bits and pieces. Multiplicity of trade unions has made trade unions weaker in numbers, organization and financially, especially in our country.
This has led to the weakening of the bargaining power of the workers. Workers in a weakened position will always be at the losing end.
Political patronage too has contributed to the break up of the labour movement. Every political party has set up a trade union under its party control. The trade unions and workers are being used to further party political ends as against the workers welfare.
Economic policy which favours large incomes result in the accumulation of capital in the hands of a few. Others without capital cannot acquire capital or will be squeezed out by the financial giants. Trans-national Corporations which have come in on the open economy policy will bring in an economy in favour of the rich. When the wealthier sections gain the upper hand as a result and when profit making becomes their ‘main’ concern attempts to curtail workers rights will be the natural outcome.
The open economy in its operation appears to be binding together the business and political sectors. This is a new trend the cooperation and interdependence of these two sectors can result in the business community, the wealthier sections of society getting a grip on policy formulation which if occurs will not be to the benefit of the worker and the country at large. This is a threat the workers will face if the present trend continues.
Privatisation is another issue workers face. The growth of the public sector that took place on a stable economic background internationally, up to the early 1970’s took a different turn with the oil crisis in 1973, after which inflation kept on rising and went out of control. Cuts in public spending was introduced as the economic measure to meet the crisis. This was followed by the theory of privatization. The open economy policy opened the gates for large scale privatization. This helped idling capital with trans sector institutions which led to privatisation.
New technology which should be used to create more jobs and usher in a better worklife is being rationalized to increase profits and destroy job opportunities, investment and reinvestment are towards that end. The introduction of new technology without the necessary health and safety methods being provided, on the other hand has increased the number of people leaving work due to occupational illness. This is a social problem that the workpeople will face which will affect the social fabric of the country. Less job opportunities will mean more unemployment.
Another May Day will be celebrated. The workers led by the political elite will parade the streets in a show of disunity. However if only these issues are uppermost in their minds, that at least is a redeeming factor.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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