Labour Day: Remembering Nigerian Workers

Labour Day which is observed annually as International Workers’ Day on the 1st of May had its origin in the May 4th 1886 Hay Market massacre. The massacre was as a result of series of protest for a better welfare package and conducive working conditions including an 8-hour work day.

The 4th May, 1886 demonstration later turned into a riot after an unidentified person threw a bomb at the police on the scene, the bomb blast and the ensuing gunfire resulted in the deaths of about 8 police officers and undetermined numbers of the protesting workers injured.

The Hay Market incident was viewed as a setback for the organized Labour movement in America, which was fighting for the rights of workers.