TODAY is May Day. Today is our day. Today we wear red. We wear red for the key workers out there saving lives every day and we wear red for those who came before us and died for the rights and freedoms we take for granted. 

We wear red for the future, too, for a new world that can be born from the ashes of the old. 

Our response to coronavirus has clearly shown the importance of society working together in the common interest. 

We have learnt quickly that a neoliberal society is a luxury and we know who our essential key workers are. 

This must be the basis for building a new society as part of our recovery from this virus. 

Since we launched the #Redforkeyworkers campaign a week ago it has taken off more than we ever expected, with MPs and rank-and-file trade unionists and union leaders joining, together with activists and social movements across the country behind the one thing we can agree on — that today we must honour the workers of the world. 

Ian Lavery, former chair of the Labour Party and MP for Wansbeck, was an early supporter of the campaign and told us why today is so important. 

“As a lifelong trade unionist, I have understood from a young age the importance of publicly promoting and celebrating our movement to help protect and preserve its future, for generations to come. 

“That’s why I’m proud to be supporting the Wear Red for Key Workers event on May Day as it is vitally important that the heritage and history of the trade union movement is given relevance in today’s society. 

“I praise the work done by Rob Poole and Henry Fowler in their vision to relaunch May Day and hope that all across the labour movement can come together to support their efforts and stand in solidarity with workers all across the world.”

We’re asking you this International Workers’ Day to join us in celebrating the heroic efforts of our key workers by wearing red in solidarity with them. 

We are asking as many people as possible to share photos of themselves wearing something red with messages of solidarity on social media using #redforkeyworkers. 

We want to highlight the importance of workers during this crisis and their importance in rebuilding after it. 

May Day has, for over 100 years, been a day to celebrate the important role that workers play in society. 

In the midst of this crisis we can see this more than ever, with some, such as teachers, bus drivers, doctors and nurses, making the ultimate sacrifice. 

John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, said: “The pandemic makes this May Day extremely poignant. 

“We celebrate the essential role workers play in our society not just as the creators of wealth but also as the carers that sacrifice so much to keep us from harm.”

This May Day thousands of people across the world will be wearing red to give our thanks to those workers.

Today is not the end of our work, it is just the start uniting rank-and-file trade unionists from across the country as we organise to build a united campaign that is able to build a brighter tomorrow, for all workers. We hope you will join with us.

Follow the campaign on Twitter @redforworkers.