Scottish Parliament motion in support of #MayDay15 events

Motion S4M-13031: Neil Findlay, Lothian, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28/04/2015
Celebrating International Workers’ Day

That the Parliament commends all those involved in organising May Day events across Scotland during the first weekend in May as part of the international May Day celebration of working people’s lives; understands that the origins of identifying International Workers’ Day as 1 May lie with the campaign for the eight-hour day, marked by massive demonstrations in American cities in 1888 and a rally of over 300,000 people in Hyde Park in London in 1890; considers the May Day bank holiday in the UK was introduced in 1978 by the Secretary of State for Employment, the Labour Party’s Michael Foot, in honour of organised labour and the right to strike, and welcomes the Edinburgh and Lothians May Day rally on 2 May 2015, with speakers that include Grahame Smith, the General Secretary of the STUC, the Glasgow May Day rally on 3 May and the other events planned to mark the international celebration and the bank holiday weekend.
Supported by: Malcolm Chisholm, Iain Gray, Cara Hilton, James Kelly, John Mason, Margaret McCulloch, Hanzala Malik, Graeme Pearson, David Stewart, Patricia Ferguson, Claire Baker, Richard Simpson, Elaine Murray, Michael McMahon, John Pentland, Drew Smith, Jayne Baxter, Anne McTaggart, Lewis Macdonald

Speakers at the rally on 2 May

The line up of speakers in the Pleasance Theatre at the end of the march: Grahame Smith STUC General Secretary, Cat Boyd on behalf of the Peoples Assembly Against Austerity, Skevos Magriplis from Syriza and Elizabeth Ogunlana from the African and Caribbean Women’s Thematic Group.  We also hope to have representatives from the two all out strikes currently on in Scotland, the Ninewells Hospital Porters from Dundee and the Homeless Caseworkers from Glasgow.. Continuity will be by Susan Morrison and there will be music from Penny Stone.

Music and the Edinburgh MayDay Events

Penny Stone will be singing at the rally at the Pleasance on 2 May and also performing along with Calum Baird and Dick Gaughan at the May Day gig on the evening of Friday 1st.  Go to the Tradfest site for links to booking or straight to the Scottish Story Telling Centre box office. The May Day concert starts at 8pm and tickets are £12

Spread the word about the 2 May anti-austerity march

Don’t forget that this year the ‪#‎mayday15‬ march is on saturday 2 May and starts from Middle Meadow Walk – assemble 11.30 to march off at midday.  Please let all your friends and workmates know about it.