"It came out of bloody campaigns in the United States for the eight-hour day in the 1880s"

Actually...

The happy idea of using a proletarian holiday celebration as a means to attain the eight-hour day was first born in Australia. The workers there decided in 1856 to organize a day of complete stoppage together with meetings and entertainment as a demonstration in favor of the eight-hour day. The day of this celebration was to be April 21. At first, the Australian workers intended this only for the year 1856. But this first celebration had such a strong effect on the proletarian masses of Australia, enlivening them and leading to new agitation, that it was decided to repeat the celebration every year.

The first to follow the example of the Australian workers were the Americans. In 1886 they decided that May 1 should be the day of universal work stoppage. On this day 200,000 of them left their work and demanded the eight-hour day. Later, police and legal harassment prevented the workers for many years from repeating this [size] demonstration. However in 1888 they renewed their decision and decided that the next celebration would be May 1, 1890.

In the meanwhile, the workers' movement in Europe had grown strong and animated. The most powerful expression of this movement occurred at the International Workers' Congress in 1889. At this Congress, attended by four hundred delegates, it was decided that the eight-hour day must be the first demand. Whereupon the delegate of the French unions, the worker Lavigne from Bordeaux, moved that this demand be expressed in all countries through a universal work stoppage. The delegate of the American workers called attention to the decision of his comrades to strike on May 1, 1890, and the Congress decided on this date for the universal proletarian celebration.

From: Rosa Luxemburg "What are the origins of may day?"

It is interesting that the labor governments in every other state have privatised their electricity, leaving NSW as the only state where the industry is still government run. Of all the comments about privatisation, it think the best came from Ross Gittins, who is not known for his right wing views. His call for why it is being opposed is that the power unions are on a soft cop that the Iemma government wishes to end.

If the liberal opposition has the sense to support privatisation in parliament, it could pass with as many as 50 labor defectors. Let us hope so, as we need a more efficient power system to face up to the challenges of peak oil and carbon taxes, which will inevitably reduce our standard of living.

If the workers were insane enough to strike, I don't think it would take long for a number of chinese electrical workers to be brought in to run the system. Even labor governments do this if necessary, and older people can remember when Chifley brought the army into the coalfields in 1949 to break the strike organised by the communist unions. The days when a few unions can hold the community to ransom are long gone.

Thanks for expanding on the history Lev. I think the comment is still valid since the Second International chose 1 May because of the significance of that day in the struggle for the eight hour day in the US.

Plersdus says we should privatise to make the industry more efficient. I wonder what the results of privatisation in other states have actually been? More costly, not more efficient.

Passy,

If you think that the NSW Treasury is not currently extracting every cent it can from the state electricity system, then my name is not Michael Costa. For a government that is so desperate for every dollar it can lay its hands on that it is proposing a desalination plant mainly so it can make a huge profit on the electricity it sells it, you can be sure that no private dividend could compare. Coupled with the staff reductions that will be possible under private ownership, it is hard to see in a competitive electricity market how prices will rise more under privatisation than under the present system. Obviously, the proposed imposition of a carbon tax will cause the price to rise substantially over the next few years whoever controls it.

So is class dead? It looks like the NSW Government is trying to cook up some deal to buy off the union bureaucrats and through them workers across the State.

I think Labor is reacting to working class pressure from below. A small point but it does show to me at least that the majority of us sell our labour power and in that very arrangement we really run society. We just need to understand that, and that is the most difficult issue to address. But as we can see, time and time again workers do begin to understand the role they play in running society and that small things can spark massive upsurges of workers.

One thing the article didn't deal with is the role the ALP plays in society. Why does a so called Labor party attack workers, in this case power workers?

It is the same role Labor plays over and over again, always dashing the hopes of its working class supporters. It ends up ruling for the rich, ie managing capitalism and accepting the profit motive as the grundnorm of society.

Lev where did you find Rosa Luxemburg, is not she with Spartacus?
Lev if you met Rosa again tel her that Today workers are fighting for 50-60 hours per week, including the overtime, even without the overtime penalty!
Tel her she had right about the soviet union, it self demolished and the guardians for the communist ethos now are the oligarchs and Russia's mafia leaders!
Tel her now we do not need revolutions, the socialist, labors and social democrats have won the elections in many countries. In Australia, we had a problem, for many years extreme conservatives, but this happened because workers remembered the former labor government!
Today workers belong to the middle class!! (some unionists believe it) and have not reason to fight!
Forget the class fighting now we passed to a higher level, the employers order and workers execute, even against their own benefits. They are ready to signed Individual contracts with worst conditions as happened with Kevin wife's employees!
Today the unions found a better way to promote workers rights, instead to fight with employers they accept and legalize employers claims!
I am sure at the the unions would lose their members but this could be the best proof for their success!
Personally I do not know what is bad and what worst but my opinion do not count as I am migrant.
From little things, big things grow but not any more without hard fight

ASymeonakis, your opinions count as much as everyone else's, irrespective of background or country of origin.

Luxemburg was a revolutionary communist. She was a member of the German Social Democratic party - SPD - which was a bit like our Labor Party only much more radical in words - until they supported the German side in the war. She left and set up the Spartacists, basically the German Communist party. The SPD killed her during the German revolution in 1919.

I disagree with your comments about how the world has changed and now we can negotiate better deals with employers through unions and Parliament. Luxemburg actually wrote a good piece on this called reform or revolution in which she argued you can't reform capitalism into socialism.

As to the way forward, let's see what comes out of the May day rally in Sydney today against power privatisation.

But we need to think internationally as well. Working people are now the majority in the world. Most people now live in cities.

Famine stalks the world. The bloody hand a war extends its welcome. Financial crisis has grabbed the mind of the US. There may be a major capitalist crisis arising, and as the food riots show, people will fight back.

People say revolution in the West is impossible, but May 68 in France when ten million workers went on strike for weeks proves them wrong. I wrote an article about that if you want to have a read.

The link is :http://www.as.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1671&Itemid=125

“that Australian nationalism dominates over any old fashioned analysis of bosses and workers.”

It might seem that way because the author is entrenched in the status quo of 100 years ago. In the halcyon days of fomenting revolution and carrying forward the goals of Marx.

These days ask who Marx was and most will reply “Harpo or Groucho?” and remember clips from “A Day at the Races”

“That strike could, with real leadership, have led to the overthrow of French capitalism.”

Yadda-yadda but it did not because the forces of sense and reason prevailed to put the revolting revolutionaries back in their boxes.

“As the song says, from little things big things grow.”

And a marxist/socialist revolution is seen as having the both emotional and realistic potential of a dead puppy.

Keep up the good work John, these posts of yours are a hoot.

If you ever want the phone number of a professional dominatrix to spank you, just ask, I know one socially (although she does not do “that” for me).

Passy
Do not you see that my text is full of sarcasm and venous against the conditions and directions of modern labor movement! Read my text again!
I know Rosa Luxemburg!
In my text I humiliate the communists and labors and Union movement for our bad conditions and limited hopes of cause them!
regards
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Antonios

My profuse apologies. Sometimes I miss subtlety and satire. I did agree with your last comment about needing to fight for better wages etc. It struck me as odd, and now I know I hadn't read your post properly. Again, my apologies.

I also referred to an article I had written on Paris in May 1968, showing the evolutionary potential of workers in an advanced capitalist country. The reference was slightly wrong (my spell check changed sa to as.) Here is the correct reference for anyone interested:

:http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1671&Itemid=125

I have also checked for May Day strikes and celebrations around the world. Here is a summary.

Up to half a million in Turkey.

45,000 in Tokyo.

120,000 in France.

25,000 in Madrid.

10,000 in Hamburg (to try and stop the Nazis march).

10,000 in Belgrade.

10,000 in Beirut.

70,000 in Mexico.

15,000 in Ecuador.

Thousands in Manila,Jakarta, Guatemala, Venezuela, South Africa, dock workers on strike in West Coast ports of the US.

The themes appeared similar. No to privatisation, defence of public services and migrant workers, and higher wages to deal with increasing food and fuel prices.

The working class internationally isn't dead at all. Dare to struggle, dare to win.

Col Rouge says to me:

"If you ever want the phone number of a professional dominatrix to spank you, just ask, I know one socially (although she does not do “that” for me)."

So are you in effect a pimp for a professional dominatrix? Interesting.

Look, if you think the idea of a democratic working class revolution is a dead puppy, well and good. André Gorz, a Marxist academic in France, said much the same thing in January 1968. Four months later ten million French workers were on strike, running society, the President fled to West Germany and French capitalism was only saved by the most Stalinist communist party in Europe, the French Communist party (or PCF.) The strikers - the forces of sense and reason - were defeated with the PCF playing the major role in that defeat.

I can understand in times of class collaboration, with strikes at record lows, that many people will mistake the surface "calm" for reality, but lurking underneath are massive forces which can break through like a tsunami.

We live in an increasingly globalised world, and workers are fighting back all across the world. Just one example. The May Day figures for Turkey - half a million - show that the ideas of class and struggle are not dead.

Another - big strikes and riots in Egypt for better pay and food. Mubarak may be in trouble.

And when the 400 million strong Chinese working class begins to move against the dictatorship, the world will be changed forever.

My reading and activity is preparing me for the day when the class recognises its strength and begins to exercise it. Unfortunately Col, when that happens you will not know what to do having dismissed the whole idea of working class self-emancipation as a dead puppy.

I guess it will be a resurrection of sorts when the next upsurge in class struggle happens, eh Col?

Passy “So are you in effect a pimp for a professional dominatrix? Interesting.”

No I offer her phone number only as a favour – I neither need nor desire to be a party to any negotiation or exchange of money she and I met when she was less “dom”, so to speak.

“but lurking underneath are massive forces which can break through like a tsunami.”

That is a bit like the “tsunami” which hit the USSR when the Berlin wall was breached, except, the ones tearing down that wall were the oppressed people who had suffered under the criminal yoke of Marxist Communism.

“We live in an increasingly globalised world,”

and many workers enjoy better conditions than ever before, especially in areas of China, where they are now allowed to own cars and TV sets, items banned by the Maoist version of Marxist Communism.

“And when the 400 million strong Chinese working class begins to move against the dictatorship”

Yes the “dictatorship” which has been the consistent inheritor of all your political / philosophical beliefs.

“My reading and activity is preparing me for the day when the class recognises its strength and begins to exercise it.”

Been catching up on old versions of the Beano? Well, good for you, then you will be able to get a spanking from the local party chairman.

“Unfortunately Col, when that happens you will not know what to do having dismissed the whole idea of working class self-emancipation as a dead puppy.”

I will be well armed and prepared to go out with a bang. I can live without you but you saps need people like me to innovate, create and generate the activity which you can tax. I don’t feel like playing your game and trust me, will do everything to ensure it never happens.

“I guess it will be a resurrection of sorts when the next upsurge in class struggle happens, eh Col?”

I doubt you will live (old age comes to us all) to see it, nor your great-great-great-great-grandchildren

Dear John,

Like you I'll be joining the May dayers today, but my bruvers and sisters will be holding placards and posters that speak to a very different era in Labor history.

Like yourself and other union members, few of you have any knowledge of Stolen Wages or the Aboriginal struggle to have these wages returned.

All around the country, State Premiers will step up to the stump and declare their solidarity with the union movement and everywhere everyone will be celebrating the defeat of Howard's Work Choices.

But look around and you are sure to see some Aboriginal people protesting against this Premier and their government.(along with enlightened whitefellas) for not agreeing to a fair and just reparation of Stolen Wages - Stolen over the last 109 years, and held in government trusts under their control.

Of course the union bosses there will arrogantly ignore these people. Its not in their interests to get off side with Premiers and the factions that support them.

But I'm hoping that ordinary workers will see through this charade of power and ask the hard questions about this issue.

All this analysis about the history of workers rights is fine but its worth nothing if the most vulnerable workers in Australia's history are not recognised and a just and legal system of reparation established.

Remember this was not welfare money, these were was wages never paid, creating intergenerational poverty - stolen to prop up successive state governments.

Lest we forget is the Anzac cry, Best we forget is the Stolen Wages approach taken by Labor Governments, both federal and state. They are all Fkn hypocrites!

Read more about this here / get involved! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/01/2232193.htm

Oh and just in case you didn't know John, "From little things big things grow" is the title of a song by Paul Kelly and brother Kev Carmody..that speaks directly to Aboriginal land and stolen wages in the cattle industry.

Listen and learn here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tHEGo-g3mw

Thanks Rainier. I bought the Get Up version of from little things big things grow. I am also reading a book of the same title about building socialist groups.

State Governments have consistently refused to acknowledge let alone pay stolen wages. Beattie was a real culprit. Bligh is a culprit, and the hypocrisy of Rudd attending the May Day march in Brisbane today beggars belief as he stomps over workers (and his mate in NSW does the same.)

I think the union movement has some history of supporting Aboriginal struggles (such as Wave Hill.)

I am not sure how this gets on the union agenda or, if it is on the agenda, how to get it front and centre. What are, say, Queensland Unions saying and doing about the wages held in trust (from memory) but not returned to those who were not paid to them or their descendants?

Wasn't there a court case on this (not that I think that is definitive, far from it.)

I think the answer at a general level is to revitalise the union movement by democratising it, empowering the rank and file, taking direct action on a range of issues and, out of that strength that workers feel and have built up over time, winning back the stolen wages. That is not an easy task, but we must keep pushing for active, democratic unions prepared to defend their members' wages, conditions and jobs and out of that immediate struggle win through the strength workers feel justice for those whose wages were stolen.

I don't see the union movement as the enemy here (although particular leaders might not be passionate about the issue, I agree.) Rather it is Government, and Government will only be moved by mass struggle in many cases (as NSW electricity privatisation seems to be showing.)