December 3, 2024

May Day

Celebrating May Day 2023  

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May Day is a significant day for the international labour movement. It dates back to when unions won the eight-hour work day and today it represents the ongoing campaign for fair working conditions.

In the 1800s, union members across the world began advocating for better working conditions, including shorter work hours. At the time, workers were expected to work up to 16 hours a day, often under dangerous conditions.

On 1 May 1886, a series of protests were held across the United States, with workers demanding an eight-hour workday with no reduction in pay. In Chicago, the tragic Haymarket Affair took place. After a peaceful rally on 3 May, an unknown individual threw a small homemade bomb at police, which caused the police and protestors to open fire on each other resulting in the deaths of several officers and protesters, while injuring many more. This event came to symbolise the struggle for workers’ rights.

In Australia, the eight-hour work day movement began in the 1850s, led by stonemasons in Melbourne and Sydney. In 1856, after resistance from their bosses, Melbourne stonemasons downed tools, marched for an eight-hour day and were successful. This victory inspired others to stand up for their rights which led to the eight-hour workday becoming the standard in Australia.

The Australian union movement has continued to celebrate May Day, honouring the achievements of past workers.

We remember the sacrifices of those who fought for the rights we now enjoy and will continue to fight for a fairer system.

Action needed to address increased psychosocial risks in Nursing and Midwifery

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This International Day of Mourning, the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) remembers those who have lost their life at work and renews calls for more to be done to address mental health workplace risks to prevent further tragic losses.

International Day of Mourning (28 April) is a day to remember and honour those who have lost their lives at work.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, expressed concern around the increasing psychosocial and mental health risks impacting nurses and midwives.

“We’d like to see urgent investment focused on protecting the psychosocial wellbeing and mental health of nurses and midwives,” Ms Candish said.

“We’ve seen a significant amount of research in the past year highlighting the extent of the problem. A COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Worker study found one in 10 healthcare workers surveyed reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm over a two-week period.

“Healthcare workers were also twice as likely as workers in other industries to experience psychological injury, according to a Design for Care survey on Psychological injury in the NSW Healthcare and social assistance industry.”

A report released earlier this year commissioned by the NSWNMA revealed 15 in every 100 nurses and midwives surveyed are suffering symptoms of post-traumatic stress at clinical levels, with overwork, exhaustion and burnout identified as key contributors.

“The data and research into mental health risks at workplaces is there, now we need action to address the issues,” Ms Candish said.

“Workplaces should be proactive and encouraging reporting of workplace psychosocial hazards and risks as ignoring them or accepting them as the norm is increasingly dangerous.

“In addition to that, we need increased risk mitigation measures to address occupational violence, improved programs to reduce bullying, further training for staff and managers to support each other after traumatic events, and a review of the Employee Assistance Program.

“The NSW government commitment to implement ratios in NSW public hospitals through their Safe Staffing policy will have a positive impact on nurses and midwives mental health, but more must be done.”

2023 May Day march locations

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May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is an annual event celebrated on 1 May to commemorate the historical achievements and ongoing struggles of the working class and labour movements worldwide.

This year, May Day will be celebrated in three locations over three days, providing an opportunity for union members and the public to show support for workers’ rights and social justice.

Join the NSWNMA among thousands of workers by attending one of the following rallies:

Hunter Workers’ May Day March

Date: Sunday, 30 April

Location: Assembling outside Newcastle Museum, Workshop Way

Time: Assembling at 9:30 am, march begins at 10 am

Hunter Workers will gather outside Newcastle Museum to commence their march towards the Foreshore at 10 am.

Sydney May Day

Date: Monday, 1 May

Location: Assembling at Belmore Park

Time: 11 am

Sydney May Day will take place in Belmore Park, with participants assembling at 11 am before marching to Hyde Park. Please note that there will be no weekend family fun day this year.

South Coast Labour Council’s March for Peace, Jobs, and Justice

Date: Saturday, 6 May

Location: Assembling at Wentworth St, Port Kembla

Time: 12 pm

The South Coast Labour Council will assemble in Wentworth St, Port Kembla, with the march’s central message highlighting that Port Kembla is No Place for a Nuclear Base. 

This is an important opportunity for workers everywhere to vent their opposition to Port Kembla becoming the east coast base for the nation’s nuclear submarines.

Offshore wind and container terminal jobs are too important to be displaced in the name of nuclear submarines, that’s why workers are standing up to fight back.

Changing the rules includes hospital staffing

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Nurses and midwives were prominent at rallies around Australia on May Day advocating for “Change the Rules” on hospital staffing to improve safe patient care.

Sydney May Day march Prince of Wales, Patrick Gould, mental health nurse
“I attended the May Day rally with about 100 other nurses to support the Change the Rules campaign. It was just really good to see people from diverse backgrounds coming together to try to get our voices heard with other unions, in true solidarity. Unionisation has always been very important to me. It is about protecting your rights, making sure we have a safe workplace, are well paid, and making sure we can have the best quality of work and life. A lot of our patients in my mental health area are in there because of unemployment or recent unemployment, or issues with their jobs. When people are being underpaid, getting stuck in that poverty cycle, and living pay cheque to pay cheque, they are in constant financial stress. The biggest issue at Prince of Wales we wanted to march for are ratios: at least one to three in EDs, and also counting mothers and their babies as separate individuals and patients.”

Illawarra May Day march Wollongong Hospital, Sarah Morton, nurse and midwife
“I attended the May Day rally in Wollongong. There were about 40 nurses and midwives. It was my first May Day rally so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but everyone was really positive and enthusiastic. Change the Rules means we’re fighting for a fair go at work. For the nurses and midwives it is really about the ratios campaign, and midwives really wanting babies to be counted in the ratios. At the moment there are high rates of readmission of babies and poor breastfeeding rates, which probably contributes to some women’s feelings of postnatal depression and anxiety. We have got almost equal nurses to midwives in the postnatal ward, but the women there need specialised midwifery assistance and breastfeeding assistance, and it is outside nurses’ scope of practice to offer this. A lot
of the Shellharbour staff members know they can have a successful campaign after they saved Shellharbour Hospital from being privatised.”

Nurses and midwives join global solidarity march

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Attacks on penalty rates, encroaching hospital privatisations and more health funding cuts will prompt members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) to join in May Day marches and activities this week.

General Secretary of the NSWNMA, Brett Holmes, said this year’s theme ‘fighting inequality’ would focus on workers’ rights and the ongoing pursuit of improved wages, conditions and living standards.

“Over the past few years we’ve seen the devastating impacts of a growing gap between rich and poor, soaring costs of living and, more recently, unnecessary cuts to hard-fought workers’ entitlements,” Mr Holmes said.

“The Turnbull Government’s support of the Fair Work Commission’s recommended cuts to Sunday and public holiday penalty rates in the retail, fast food and hospitality sectors is simply abhorrent.

“It’s yet another example of conservative ideology to focus on looking after big business and expect the working class to do more with less. We know this is only the beginning and more sectors will be at risk of penalty rate losses in the future.

“The global union movement has long acknowledged the contribution of workers to our community and economy and this year’s May Day is no different – in fact it’s even more important that we stand up, collectively, for workers’ rights.

“May Day is an opportunity to come together with likeminded workers and their families to help build a better future for everyone.”

Sydney’s annual May Day march will take place on Sunday, starting at Hyde Park North in the CBD and marching to Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills, where workers will gather for live entertainment and family activities.

2017 May Day activities:

Wollongong, Saturday 6 May – 10am march from Lowden Square to Wollongong Mall.

Sydney, Sunday 7 May – 12pm gather at Hyde Park North and march to Prince Alfred Park for family fun day.

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