Increased pay, reduced working hours and better working conditions were among the calls at a rally to celebrate workers on Monday.
Hundreds of people gathered on Parnell Square in Dublin city centre on Sunday afternoon to celebrate May Day, or International Workers’ Day.
The rally marched down O’Connell Street, towards Liberty Hall on Eden Quay, bringing traffic to a standstill for around 30 minutes.
The main trade unions were in attendance, with the march being led by a man playing bagpipes and a sign that said “Dublin Council of Trade Unions 1886″.
Political parties were also present, with a large number of People Before Profit and Social Democrat flags seen among the crowds.
Some attendees brought their own signs, calling for a four-day work week. Another sign said: “If a State does not serve its people, what is its purpose?”
Chants of “May Day, workers’ day, time to make the bastards pay” were heard, as well as “Leo in your ivory tower, this is called people power”.
Speaking at the rally, Teresa Hannick, divisional organiser of Siptu’s services division, said while May Day is an acknowledgement of workers, it is an opportunity to better the conditions in which people work.
“It’s more important now than it has been since the last recession. The cost of living crisis means workers have essentially taken a pay cut. Workers are struggling day to day,” she said
“We have weekends and we have bank holidays because of trade unions and workers. Now is the time to build on that.”
Susan Fitzgerald, secretary of Unite the Union, said May Day marks all of the progress that has been made on workers’ rights in recent years, but it also shows “that we still have a lot to do”.
“International Workers’ Day started as a day to fight for an eight hour working day. Many workers today still don’t have that, and still don’t have a weekend. We’re in the middle of a cost of living crisis and wages seriously haven’t kept pace,” she said.
“In reality, people are having to make really difficult decisions on a weekly and monthly basis. Maybe people have heard this a lot that some people have had to choose between heating or eating but that’s not overblown, that’s an actual reality.”
There was a focus on diversity and inclusion throughout the march, with people calling for rights for transgender people and migrants.
Several organisations representing that cohort of society, including the movement of asylum seekers in Ireland (Masi) and, United against racism were in attendance.
Attendees chanted: “Workers’ rights, trans rights. Same struggle, same fight.”
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) released an anti-racism video to mark May Day as part of a plan “to counteract the far right”.
Owen Reidy, Ictu general secretary, said trade unions believe in social justice for all working people “no matter what their background and we will always be there to stand up against those seeking to divide us”.
“Most recently, this has included stirring up hate, fear, and anger by blaming migrants and minorities for our housing crisis and our stretched public services,” he added.
