A large number of workers and activists globally marked May Day with rallies calling for higher salaries, reduced working hours and other better working conditions.
While May Day is marked worldwide as a celebration of labor rights, this year's rallies tapped into broader frustrations. Climate activists spray-painted a museum in Paris, and protesters in Germany demonstrated against violence targeting women and LGBTQ+ people.
Tear gas hung over the end point of the Paris march, Place de la Nation, where a huge black cloud lofted high above the trees after radicals set two fuel cans afire outside a building renovation site, police said. In Turkey, police prevented demonstrators from reaching Istanbul’s main square, Taksim, and detained around a dozen of them, independent television station Sozcu reported.
In Tokyo, thousands of labor union members, opposition lawmakers and academics demanded wage increases to offset the impact of rising costs as they recover from damage from the pandemic. They criticized Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s plan to double the defense budget, saying the money should be spent on welfare, social security and improving people’s daily lives.
More than 70 marches were held across Spain, and powerful unions warned of “social conflict” if low salaries compared to the EU average don’t rise in line with inflation. The Illustrious College of Lawyers of Madrid urged reforms of historic laws that require them to be on call 365 days of the year, regardless of the death of family members or medical emergencies. In recent years, lawyers have tweeted images of themselves working from hospital beds on IV drips to illustrate their plight.
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World's workers rally on May Day; France braces for protestsWorkers squeezed by inflation and demanding economic justice marked May Day with rallies around the world. They are calling for higher salaries, reduced working hours and other better working conditions. May Day is observed in many countries as a day to celebrate workers’ rights. This year’s events had bigger turnouts than in previous years as COVID-19 restrictions were loosened and opposition centered on how governments’ economic plans will affect workers. In France, unions plan massive demonstrations to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s recent move to raise the retirement age. In Indonesia, rally-goers demanded the government repeal a job creation law they argue would benefit business at the expense of workers and the environment.
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May Day: World’s workers rally, France sees pension angerWorkers squeezed by inflation and demanding economic justice marked May Day with rallies around the world. They are calling for higher salaries, reduced working hours and other better working conditions. May Day is observed in many countries as a day to celebrate workers’ rights. This year’s events had bigger turnouts than in previous years as COVID-19 restrictions were loosened and opposition centered on how governments’ economic plans will affect workers. In France, unions plan massive demonstrations to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s recent move to raise the retirement age. In Indonesia, rally-goers demanded the government repeal a job creation law they argue would benefit business at the expense of workers and the environment.
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May Day: World’s workers rally, France sees pension angerWorkers squeezed by inflation and demanding economic justice marked May Day with rallies around the world.
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