Chris Bartter: Our May day heritage will be kept by working people

Glasgow Friends of MayDay, a group of activists and artists set up to increase support for Glasgow's May day celebrations, launched its 2011 programme yesterday. It is a series of events covering the three days before Sunday, 1 May, when the traditional May day march and rally takes place in the city.

Actor and director David Hayman, musicians Dave Anderson and Arthur Johnstone, and poet Tom Leonardwill all perform concerts at the STUC Centre.

There will also be a night featuring film and a lecture on the UCS work-in, 40 years ago this year, stand-up comedy as an antidote to the royal wedding, and a Northern Soul night.

There are many reasons behind all this cultural activity. First, we want to challenge the ConDem government's attack on May day, by rejuvenating the international workers' day celebration.

Working with the Glasgow TUC and the STUC, far from scrapping the holiday, we aim to extend the celebrations and in following years build events in local communities.

We also want to challenge the Tories' economic policies. After the huge success of the 26 March demo in London, this will be another step in the campaign to defend public services from their cuts and say, to use the slogan, "there is a better way". It is entirely appropriate that this is a broad cultural and artistic celebration.

The arts are facing the same attacks as public services.

Trade unions are facing direct attacks by this government.

Far from all of us being "in this together", it is clear that they plan to mount another attack on the rights of working people. The government plans to dismember the only major institution campaigning for working people.

Successful celebrations such as May day send a signal that ordinary people see through their divide-and-rule tactics. May day celebrations have been part of Glasgow's calendar since the early 1900's. Maybe it is a little early to aim for the 70,000 that joined the 1918 march, but we hope to raise the profile once more.

• Chris Bartter is chair of Glasgow Friends of MayDay