May Day or International Workers Day
May Day
May Day or International Workers Day is observed on May 1 all over the world today to commemorate the historical struggle and sacrifices of the working people to establish an eight hour workday. It is a public holiday in almost all the countries of the world.
Since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and the US, the workers in mills and factories had been working a long shift, fourteen or even more hours a day.
On May 1st in 1886, inspired by the trade unions, half of the workers at the McCormic Harvester Company in Chicago went on strike demanding an eight hour workday. Two days later, a workers’ rally was held near the McCormic Hervester Company and about 6000 workers had joined it. The rally was addressed by the labour leaders. They urged the workers to stand together, to go on with their struggle and not to give in to their bosses. Just at this moment some strikebreakers started leaving the meeting place. The strikers went down the street to bring them back. Suddenly about 200 policemen attacked them with clubs and revolvers. One striker was killed instantly, five or six others were seriously wounded and many of them were badly injured.
The events of May 1, 1886 is a reminder that workers will continue to be exploited until they stand up and speak out to gain better working conditions, better pay and better lives.
International (Bb&Uvb¨vk&b&j&)ad- Avš@R©vwZK; Syn- global; Ant- national; Revolution (†ifvj–k&b&)n- wece; Syn- strike, war, struggle; Factory (d¨vK&Uvwi)n- KviLvbv, ewYK †Kv¤•vwbi evwYR¨KzwV; Syn- industry, workshop; Work (IqvK&)vt- KvR Kiv, n- KvR; Syn- perform, do; Ant- sitedly; Even (Cf&b&)adv- GgbwK, AviI; G m‡Ë¡I; Later (†jBUvi&)adv (Later on)- cieZx© mg‡q; Syn- after that, next; Ant- now, at this moment; Leader (jxWv(i&))n- †bZv; Syn- head, instructor; Ant- follweer; Boss (em&)n- Awd‡mi cÖavb KZ©ve¨w³; Syn- main, principal, head; Ant- executive, employee; Club (K¬ve&)n- jvwV, gyMyi, nvZzwo, nwKw÷K; Lives (jvBf&R&)n- A‡bKMy‡jv Rxeb, eû gvby‡li Rxeb; Syn- creatures, alive; Ant- death; Rally (i¨vwj)n- †kvfvhvÎv; Syn- procession; Reminder (wigvBbWvi)n- ¯§viK; Syn- token; Striker (m&UªvBKv(i&))n- ag©NUx; Syn- protestor, blower; Ant- strikebreaker; Strikebreaker (÷ªvBK&‡eªBKv(i&))n- ag©NU †_‡K wcQyn‡U hvIqv †jvKRb; Event (B‡f›U&)n- Myi“Z¡c–Y© NUbv; Injury (Bb&Rvwi)n- RLg, ¶Z, AvNvZ; Syn- wound, hurt, harm; Ant- heal; Wound (Eb&W&)n- ¶Z, AvNvZ; Syn- injury, damage; Exploit (BK&m&cÐBU&)vt- wbR ¯^v_© mvab, †kvlY; Syn- misuse, mistreat; Ant- benefit.
1. Choose the best answer from the alternatives.
(a) The workers had been working a long shift during—.
(i) 17th and 18th centuries (ii) 18th and 19th centuries
(iii) 16th and 17th centuries (iv) 19th and 20th centuries
(b) A workers rally was held near the McCormic Hervester Company in —.
(i) May 1st 1886 (ii) May 2nd 1886 (iii) May 3rd 1886 (iv) May 4th 1886
(c) The rally was — by the labour leaders.
(i) left (ii) established (iii) addressed (iv) disobeyed
(d) The word 'urge' means —.
(i) beg (ii) force (iii) hinder (iv) push
(e) What happened after the policmen's attack?
(i) one striker was killed instantly (ii) five or six were seriously wounded
(iii) many of them were badly injured (iv) all of them
(f) May Day is a public holiday in —.
(i) Bangladesh (ii) Europe
(iii) US (iv) all countries of the world
(g) The events of May 1 teach the exploited to —.
(i) held rally (ii) fight cruelly
(iii) stand up and speak against oppression
Extra Questions :
(h) The International Workers' Day has been observed ¾ across the world.
(i) locally (ii) internationally (iii) unitedly (iv) nationally
(i) The word 'rally' means —.
(i) protest (ii) procession (iii) strike (iv) line
(j) It was a struggle organised by the workers to settle for a ¾.
(i) maximum wage (ii) minimum wage (iii) freedom to work (iv) handsome wage
(k) The word "commemorate" stands for¾
(i) a unity among people (ii) loyalty towards authority
(iii) the struggle for movement (iv) honour to the memory of an event
(l) The McCormik Harvester Company is situated in ¾.
(i) London (ii) Chicago (iii) Florida (iv) New York
(m) About — workers joined the workers' rally.
(i) 5000 (ii) 6000 (iii) 7000 (iv) 7500
(n) The workers/strikers demanded for a/an—.
(i) overtime (ii) eight hour workday (iii) wages (iv) holiday/seven hour work day
(o) International Workers' ¾ is observed on May 1st all over the world.
(i) Night (ii) Morning (iii) Day (iv) Afternoon
(p) May 1st, 1886 is a memorable day in the ¾ of working class people.
(i) geography (ii) history (iii) chemistry (iv) geology
(q) What is the synonym of `commemorate'?
(i) forget (ii) ignore (iii) celebrate (iv) neglect
(r) Suddenly almost ¾ charged the strikers.
(i) 20 policemen (ii) 100 leaders (iii) 200 policemen (iv) 2000 policemen
(s) The rally was addressed by the —.
(i) labourers (ii) labour leaders (iii) political leaders (iv) religious leaders
(t) The events of — was a reminder.
(i) May 1, 1888 (ii) May 1, 1886 (iii) June 1, 1886 (iv) July 1, 1888
2. Answer the following questions :
(a) Why is the May Day or International workers' day observed?
(b) When did the workers at the McCormic Harvester Company went on strike and why?
(c) What were the urge of the labour leaders?
(d) What did happen on the workers' rally?
(e) What do you learn from the events of May 1, 1886?
Extra Questions :
(f) What were the demands of the workers?
(g) How did the people in factories work during the Industrial Revolution?
(h) What are the causes that led to the struggle?
(i) What facilities do the workers enjoy today?
(j) Why did the strikers go down the street?
(k) What happened on May 1st in 1886? Who held a rally two days later?
(l) What did the labour leaders call the workers to do? How were they involved in a clash?
(m) How were the atrocities of the policeman on May 1st in 1886?
Mohammad Shahjahan
Teacher(English)
Kurmitola High School and College
English Language Trainer (Pavers Point, ETAB)
Executive Member , ETAB
Contact : 01683288352
