May Day Greetings

Support the paper that fights for a socialist future

Every year the socialist prints May Day greetings to celebrate International Workers' Day and help build the socialist alternative to war, poverty and environmental destruction.

Bob Severn the socialist, national sales organiser

May Day has been a day of worldwide working class solidarity and struggle since the late 19th century. In 1885, the Knights of Labor, then a leading trade union in the US, planned rallies and demonstrations for the following May to pressure employers into making the working day no longer than eight hours.

The first ever national general strike in the US took place on 1 May 1886. Demonstrations and rallies across the country involved 500,000 people. Thanks to this action, tens of thousands of workers had their working hours substantially reduced. For many, this meant an eight-hour day without loss of pay.

Today, as the Labour government in Britain follows private-sector employers in attacking jobs, working conditions and pensions, May Day solidarity and the need for socialism across the globe is more vital than ever before.

For May Day 2007, the socialist appeals for greetings from all groups and individuals who want to fight for a decent standard of living for the majority, from protecting jobs to fighting for a socialist future. May Day greetings help show the strength of working-class solidarity, while raising money to help the socialist continue to report on the struggles taking place in Britain and around the world.

Last year the socialist received over 70 May Day greetings. This year, as we plan to update the printing resources of the socialist and the Socialist Party, to improve the quality of our paper, magazine, leaflets, posters and pamphlets, the money raised from May Day greetings will be even more essential.

In 2005 we received a record amount in May Day greeting donations, and raised a similar amount last year. Could we break the record again this year? Could we receive over one hundred greetings? This relies on you, the readers and sellers of the socialist.

How much money could you raise for your greeting? The bigger the pledge, the bigger the greeting! How much can be raised by your Socialist Party branch? Can you raise money for a May Day greeting from your trade union branch or workplace? Are you in a community campaign group, a NHS campaign, or a group like We Want Our Buses Back? Could that group donate for a May Day greeting?

If you are at university or college make sure your Socialist Students' group - and any other groups or individuals that read the socialist or support the Socialist Party - has a greeting in the socialist this year. Are you in an ISR branch that could raise money for a May Day message? Will local Campaign for a New Workers' Party signatories pledge for a CNWP greeting?

Why not try asking friends, neighbours, schoolmates, workmates, and anyone else who is interested in any of the campaigns covered by the socialist to make a donation for May Day.

May Day greeting price guides and pledge sheets will soon be sent to Socialist Party branches and subscribers of the socialist. Try to get pledges as soon as possible.

Though May Day may be over three months away - with a busy schedule of NHS campaigning; anti-war protests; trade union action on pensions, pay and conditions; the ISR and Socialist Students' conference on 18 March; the CNWP conference on 31 March, not forgetting the Socialist Party conference, that time will soon be gone!

If you send in your May Day greeting by the Socialist Party conference on 17-19 February, you will get a 25% discount to give a good start to this year's May Day appeal. Phone 020 8988 8796 or email circulation@socialistparty.org.uk to be sent a pledge sheet now.