page_title: Labor Day in Spain
section_title: Post-Franco
hierarchical_section_title: Labor Day in Spain / Development / Post-Franco
caption_attribution_description: Español: En la foto podemos ver (entre otros) a Cándido Méndez (Secretario Gral. de la U.G.T., 4{i}) y a Ignacio Fernández Toxo (Secretario Gral. de CC.OO., 3{i})
context_page_description: Labor Day in Spain, known there as Día del Trabajador or Primero de Mayo, was first celebrated on May 1, 1889. The way in which Spaniards celebrate Primero de Mayo has varied greatly since then, due primarily to the Francoist State, which lasted from 1936 to 1975. After 4 decades of being prohibited, in 1978 the celebration was finally re-legalized and re-instated as a national holiday, and since then every Primero de Mayo has been marked by protests and manifestations all over the country, in which social advances are celebrated and workers’ rights are revindicated.
context_section_description: After the death of Franco in 1975 and the transition to democracy, Primero de Mayo was celebrated a bit more freely, although still not a recognized holiday. Even before officially recognized again, however, the lack of an authoritarian entity continuously repressing the working class's complaints was seen as a large step in the right direction. Primero de Mayo in 1977 marked the beginning of today's Día del Trabajador in Spain, since the major labor unions that had been either stagnant or very slow in their development during Franco's reign were now re-legalized and more active than ever. For the first time in around 4 decades, thousands of members of groups like the Trade Union Confederation of Labor Commissions (CCOO) and the General Union of Workers (UGT) were once again able to protest together on the streets on Madrid, in 1977 specifically protesting for fair wages, stable jobs, and more social protection.
  It was not until 1978 that it was re-legalized as a national holiday, and since then every year's Primero de Mayo has worked more and more in favor of the unions who compose the day's manifestations. Since the day has re-claimed its status as a holiday, protesting workers need not occupy their time with mentions of strikes. In recent decades, most unions’ strategies have focused on analyzing their gains and losses in the previous year, organizing meetings and rallies to discuss what rights or assistance they need most for the following year. This allows the protests to be organized, peaceful, and, most importantly, effective, since they have a plan and goal to present to their government and employers.
  The holiday's reinstitution by Spain's democracy showed positive results, since the day before 1979's Primero de Mayo the Ministry of Labor announced the creation of approximately 280,000 jobs in the near future. Since then, Primero de Mayo protests have focused on whatever the current needs of the labor division are, much like any other country that celebrates Labor Day. Since it is a national holiday, all schools and most businesses are closed, public transportation runs on a ‘holiday schedule,’ and most commercial centers are closed; restaurants and museums usually stay open, as well as other tourist and entertainment attractions.
caption: Labor Day in Madrid, 2013; Cándido Méndez (Secretario Gral. de la U.G.T.), Ignacio Fernández Toxo (Secretario Gral. de CC.OO, and others
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