International Workers’ Day (May 1) is marked Wednesday in Macedonia with protest marches organized by several trade unions in Skopje, commemorating the historic struggle of workers throughout the world for enhancement of their rights.

Employment contracts for an indefinite period of time, termination of the practice of fixed-term contracts for a period longer than one year, Saturday and Sunday being days of weekly rest, 12 months maternity leave, minimum wage of at least 13,800 denars, are some of the requests that will be directed by participants in the trade union march, organized by the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM).

SSM called on citizens and other trade unions to join the march and jointly fight for the enhancement of workers’ rights.

May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries.

International Workers’ Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, which occurred after an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed a public
assembly during a general strike for the eight hour workday. In response, the Chicago police fired on the workers killing dozens of demonstrators and several of their own officers.

In 1889, the first congress of the Second International, meeting in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and the Exposition Universelle, following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests. May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International’s second congress in 1891.