Two years ago, Rasmus Nyberg, 22, had never thought about why the first of May is a red day. This year he is one of the speakers.
– We have to show ourselves strong in the ways we have, he says.
Rasmus Nyberg. Photo: Private.
Last year, Rasmus Nyberg stood and watched the May Day train in Hultsfred slide past. Before that, it was never something that he had thought about.
– It was only when I started working in a union that I heard more about it, he says.
You had never thought about why it is a red day?
– No, exactly. Now I have learned more about why the day is celebrated and then it has taken on a different meaning. It is a day when we have the opportunity to show how many we are and that we are stronger than we think.
Rasmus Nyberg is 22 years old and works at Leiab, a window factory in Mariannelund. He already has several assignments for the union – he sits on the GS union’s youth council, is an outreach worker, school informant and supervisor for youth courses. When he was also asked if he wanted to be one of the May Day speakers in Hultsfred this year, he said yes.
What are you going to talk about?
– Mostly about what we have achieved through the union. But also an update on the current situation, on the work environment and so on. You can see that we have started to lose quite a lot, the knowledge among young people has become worse. It is something we must continue to work on.
How do you in the GS youth council work with that?
– We have a lot of member training through LO. We try to have youth courses, so that young people meet each other more. We see that the interest will be greater then.
Why is it important to join the union?
– The most important thing is to preserve what we have. We must not lose more than we already have. To be able to expand our opportunities and to be able to make things better at the workplace, the members must also be involved in deciding. If there are fewer of us, the risk is that we lose our rights and become more controlled by our employers. We have to show ourselves strong in the ways that we have.
Rasmus Nyberg. Photo: Private.
How come you yourself are so involved?
– I felt that I wanted to be involved and make an impact instead of just sitting and complaining. I felt like I wanted to change things.
It is a premiere for you, both to participate and to speak during the first of May. Have you listened to any old speeches to prepare?
– I have received a lot of help from my employees and through the union. Got a lot of tips and tricks there. Now it’s just a matter of me continuing until then and practicing the speech.
May Day – an American idea
• Since 1939, the first of May has been a public holiday in Sweden. But the origin of the workers’ international holiday can be found in the American trade union movement’s struggle for the eight-hour working day.
• It was the American Federation of Labor (AFL) that in 1884 decided to demand an eight-hour working day. To push it through, they went on strike. On one occasion, the strikers were fired upon by those who were supposed to protect the strikebreakers.
• In 1889, the Second International (international association of socialist/social democratic parties) was formed and the American delegation proposed that May 1, 1890, should be a common day of demonstration for all the workers of the earth.
• Already in the first year, 20,000 demonstrators gathered in Stockholm and Malmö, and 25,000 in Gothenburg.
• During the Nazi era in Germany, both the labor movement and demonstrations during May Day were banned. The day was designated as a Nazi holiday instead.
Source: ne.se
Marie Edholm