International Workers Day is traditionally a day for celebrating the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. Also, for those who want to demonstrate their solidarity with trade unions and other organizations of workers and/or their supporters. International Workers’ Day is also called May Day or Labor Day in many countries. In the US this holiday is celebrated on the 1st Monday of September. The date was chosen to commemorate the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago, Illinois in 1886.
On May 4, 1886 thousands of people gathered at Haymarket Square in Chicago to protest police brutality and demand an eight hour workday. However an unknown person threw a bomb into the crowd killing several policemen and civilians, authorities blamed labor activists who were then arrested without evidence, put on trial and hanged for their crimes on November 11th 1887.
Banknotes for International Workers Day
Because of this we will show some banknotes from around the world celebrating their laborers who help sustain their respective countries each day by going out to work.
The Zimbabwe 500 Million Dollars banknote, 2008 features the Chiremba balancing rocks on it’s obverse side. The perfectly balanced rocks are situated in Epworth in the southeastern part of the Harare province. Alongside the iconic rocks are stylized grains and cow in underprint and the Zimbabwe bird in OVI. The reverse side of the note features dairy workers milking cows and a miner with a jackhammer.
The Central African States 5,000 Franc banknote was issued by the Bank of Central African States for its member state, Gabon. The notes obverse features a laborer with a hard hat on. It also shows the map of the Central African states at the left-center while at the right are riggers working with a well drill. The banknotes reverse depicts a portrait of a woman with a basket on her head. At the center are people collecting cotton.
The Yugoslavia 20,000 Dinara, 1987 is also another good example of countries paying homage to their workers. On it’s obverse is the coat of arms of Yugoslavia. On the left side is a portrait of Yugoslavian miner Alija Sirotanovic who was known as the Hero of a Socialist Labor. Featured at the center of the banknotes reverse are mining equipment. These are only a few out of many banknotes paying respect to workers, do you have a favorite banknote not shown here?
Sources / Credit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day
https://www.britannica.com/topic/May-Day-international-observance
https://www.britannica.com/event/Haymarket-Affair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair
