Invitation for workers' day Celebrations, 2014

(Webmaster's note: The following invitation was circulated by Students' Forum, an informal group of students interested in social issues (among others), on behalf of Hamara Manch. Invitation in Hindi (pdf attachment) follows the one in English below.)

Dear Friends,

Most of us are aware that May 1st is celebrated as international workers day or May day. The roots of the May day are in the fight for the eight-hour working day in Chicago in 1886, and the subsequent execution of innocent workers. Even after 150 years, 12-14 hours work day still remains a stark reality, not only in manufacturing companies but also in our messes. Hence it becomes all the more important for us to understand the history of May day and its relevance to current times. This understanding of the system is important for us to stand in solidarity with workers who are fighting for a dignified work and life. We must also remember that conditions similar to contract workers exist today

amongst project associates, RAs, including some of the corporate/academic jobs which students take up post their degree.

More on May day: http://libcom.org/history/1886-haymarket-martyrs-mayday

Hamara Manch has decided to celebrate May day with a small discussion about May day followed by screening & discussion of a documentary titled "On the threshold of class struggle in Delhi". This is a documentary film on the conditions and movements of the working class in the industrial belt surrounding Delhi; the documentary traces the living and

working conditions of the workers and then focuses on the recent struggle of Maruthi workers.

We feel this movie and subsequent discussion will help us better understand the exploitative working conditions of contract workers in the campus and also their fight for a decent pay and dignified life.

The film will be screened in Hindi with English subtitles.

We are attaching the pamphlet which HM is distributing to workers; we encourage you to distribute these pamphlets to workers with whom you interact on a day-to-day basis and initiate discussion.

We look forward to your participation with your families in our celebrations. Details of the event are given below.

Date : 3-May-2014

Time : 6 PM

Venue : Valmiki Mandir, IIT kanpur

Pls feel free to forward to people interested.

With Regards,

Students' Forum

Attachment: मई दिवस कार्यक्रम.pdf