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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 2 May 2019
May Day 2019: Workers demand higher wages, rights, respect

By FRANK JORDANS ___
KIM TONG-HYUNG KOREANS DEMAND BETTER
Associated Press WORKING CONDITIONS
BERLIN (AP) — Higher sala- Wearing headbands and
ries, better working condi- swinging their fists, protest-
tions, maternity leave, mini- ers in South Korea's capital
mum wage and an end of Seoul rallied near City
to discrimination against Hall, marching under ban-
temporary or foreign work- ners denouncing deterio-
ers: These were among the rating working conditions
concerns as hundreds of and demanding equal
thousands of union mem- treatment and pay for
bers and labor activists ral- temporary workers. A ma-
lied around the world to jor South Korean umbrella
mark May Day. trade union also issued a
The tradition of May Day joint statement with a North
marches for workers' rights Korean workers' organiza-
began in the United States tion calling for the Koreas
in the 1880s. It quickly to push ahead with joint
spread to other countries economic projects, despite
at a time when industrial- lack of progress in nucle-
ization pitted poorly paid ar negotiations between
employees who had few Washington and Pyong-
protections and little power Demonstrators confront police officers as scuffles broke out during a May Day rally in Turin, Italy, yang.
against increasingly domi- Wednesday, May 1, 2019. ___
nant factory employers Associated Press MAY DAY PARALYZES
and landowners. TRANSPORT IN GREECE
Over the decades, the central Moscow organized Associated Press report- right-wing populism. Union rallies in Greece
May Day protests have also by Kremlin-friendly trade ers saw groups of hooded, The DGB, a confederation paralyzed national rail, is-
become an opportunity unions on Red Square. Op- black-clad people shout- of unions with almost 6 mil- land ferry and other trans-
to air general economic position activists said more ing anti-police slogans, lion members, warned that port services. Hundreds of
grievances or political de- than 100 people were de- mixing with other protest- the political and economic people gathered in central
mands. Here's a look at tained in several cities, in- ers wearing yellow vests or turmoil in Britain following its Athens on Wednesday for
Wednesday's protests : cluding for participating in waving union flags. vote to leave the European three separate marches to
___ unsanctioned political pro- France's interior minister Union nationalism "shows parliament organized by
PROTESTS OVER HIGH SPEED tests. warned earlier that "radical what happens if those who rival unions and left-wing
TRAIN IN ITALY In St. Petersburg, police ar- activists" could join the pro- stoke fear but have no plan groups.
Two protesters and a police rested over 60 supporters tests in Paris and elsewhere, for the future gain the up- ___
officer were injured in the of opposition leader Alexei and deployed 7,400 police per hand." SPANISH WORKERS PRESS
Italian city of Turin when po- Navalny. Some of them to counter them. ___ NEW GOVERMENT
lice blocked a demonstra- carried signs saying "Putin is ___ CLASHES IN SWEDEN, DEN- Spain's workers marched in
tion against the construc- not immortal," in reference DETENTIONS AT TURKEY'S MARK its major cities to make their
tion of a high-speed rail line to Russian President Vladi- MAY DAY RALLIES Protesters threw cobble- voices heard days before
between France and Italy, mir Putin, who has been at Turkish police detained stones and fireworks at acting Prime Minister Pedro
according to ANSA, an Ital- the helm since 2000. May Day demonstrators try- police, included mounted Sánchez starts negotiating
ian news agency. Police manhandled dozens ing to march toward Istan- officers, who were trying with other parties to form
Among the protesters were of protesters in Russia's sec- bul's main square, which to keep them away from a a new government. Lead-
members of the 5-Star ond-largest city, including has been declared off-lim- neo-Nazi rally in Goteborg, ing labor unions are press-
Movement, a populist par- lawmaker Maxim Reznik, its by authorities, who cited Sweden's second largest ing Sánchez to roll back
ty that is in Italy's ruling co- who was later released. security concerns. city. business-friendly labor and
alition but is opposed to the Reznik told the Dozhd TV Still, small groups chanting In neighboring Denmark, fiscal reforms that have
tunnel. One member, Tori- station that police de- "May Day is Taksim and it helmeted police circled remained in place since
no city councilor Damiano tained almost everyone in cannot be banned," at- their vans around hooded the conservatives were in
Carretto, said on Facebook his protest group but gave tempted to break the people in black shouting charge.
that he was hit in the head no reason for the arrests. blockade, with dozens re- anti-police slogans to keep ___
and on the hand by a po- ___ portedly detained. Taksim them away from other May GARMENT WORKERS SEEK
lice truncheon. VIOLENT RADICALS DISRUPT Square has held symbolic Day demonstrations in Co- MATERNITY LEAVE
The 35.7-mile (57.5-kilome- MAY DAY IN FRANCE value for Turkey's labor penhagen, the capital. In Bangladesh, hundreds of
ter) long Turin-Lyon High- French police clashed with movement since 34 people A handful people were de- garment workers and mem-
Speed Train tunnel link, stone-throwing protesters were killed there during a tained in both countries. bers of labor organizations
known in Italy as TAV, is a who set fires and smashed May Day rally in 1977 when ___ rallied in Dhaka, the capi-
key part of an EU project up vehicles as thousands of shots were fired into the SRI LANKA CALLS OFF MAY tal, to demand better work-
linking southern Spain with people gathered for May crowd from a nearby build- DAY RALLIES ing conditions and higher
eastern Europe. But the Day rallies under tight secu- ing. In Sri Lanka, major political wages. Nazma Akter, presi-
5-Star Movement has long rity. About 165 arrests were ___ parties called off the tradi- dent of one of Bangla-
opposed the project. made. GERMAN UNIONS DE- tional May Day rallies due desh's largest unions, said
___ Police repeatedly used NOUNCE NATIONALISM to security concerns follow- female garment workers
RUSSIAN WORKERS MARCH tear gas to try to control the Germany's biggest trade ing the Easter bombings, were also demanding six
AT RED SQUARE crowd gathering near Paris' union urged voters to par- which killed 253 people months of maternity leave
Authorities in Russia said Montparnasse train station ticipate in this month's Eu- and were claimed by mili- and protection against sex-
about 100,000 people took for the main protest. Some ropean Parliament election tants linked to the Islamic ual abuse and violence in
part in a May Day rally in protesters were injured. and reject nationalism and State group. the workplace.q