May 07, 2010

USP Celebrated 2010 May Day in Colombo

No to Capitalism and Communalism
Build working class unity in the north and south

By Lankasocialist correspondent

This year, the USP held its May Day celebrations consisting of a demonstration and a rally in Colombo.  The demonstration was started at Orugodawatta and the public rally was held at Kosgas Handiya, Grandpass.

The public rally was chaired by Government Printing Workers Union Joint Secretary Reginald Fernando. Siritunga Jayasuriya was the main speaker at the rally. Other speakers were USP Women’s Front Organizers Dhammika Silva and Anoma Adikaram, PS Member M.K.Piyarathna, ‘Rathu Tharuwa’ Editor Srinath Perera, Free Trade Union Nuwaraeliya District Secretary Murugasu Chandiran, and Jaffna USP Organizer Subramaniam Nagularagah.

A USP spokesperson reported to lankasocialist that the USP considers the 2010 May Day to be very significant at this moment. This year the USP May Day theme was “no to capitalism and communalism and build working class unity in the north and south to over throw the capitalisms”.

Lankasocialist learnt that even after wining the 2010 elections, the UPFA had not held a May Day demonstration and they were confined only to rally. The opposition capitalist party, the UNP, could not have a political event for the May Day as a result of the severe election defeat in 2010. The JVP also faces a similar situation and abandoned the demonstration. The JVP only held a rally on May Day.

Under the circumstances, only workers parties and trade union organizations held demonstrations in celebration of May Day in 2010.  The other May Day demonstrations held in Colombo were Trade Union Congress, CMU and Bank Unions, and Left Liberation Front. 

Photos from the USP May Day demonstration and the public rally are shown below. Go to the photo gallery for more photos.