May Day is International Workers’ Day. 3CR supports the fight of workers and unions for better wages and conditions, and their democratic rights to organise and unionise, wherever they are.  

Tune in on Thursday 1 May and Sunday 4 May 2025 to hear 3CR's May Day coverage: 

Thursday 1 May 2025 

3CR's yearly May Day special broadcast, including regular 3CR Thursday programs with a May Day theme, plus some specials in our yearly commemoration on 1 May 2025, 12.30am - 7.00pm. 

12.30 - 6.00am | Special Feature | Talkback with Attitude! May Day All Night
Back by ... demand! Don't sit alone, unable to sleep as you ponder the true meaning of May Day. Join our hosts Pat ‘The Axe’ Khor & Joe Toscano LIVE on Talkback's special May Day All Night. But where would Joe and Pat be without their infamous duo of elusive producers: Mandy The Librarian aka MTL, and even G.O.D., the Goddess of Dawn hops on hiatus from her heavenly hideaway to grace us with her presence. Share your comments, questions, stories, and announcements, and we'll provide an encyclopaedic history of May Day, plus great company, music, and best of all - attitude! 
Put May Day All Night in your calendar. A special and unique opportunity to gather ‘round the radio. Call (03) 9419 0155, or text in on 0488 809 855.  

6.00 - 6.30am | Stick Together (repeat) | 3CR’s National Union Program 
Australia’s only national radio show dedicated to industrial, social, and workplace justice issues, and is distributed nationally, and produced right here at 3CR. A weekly wrap of union news, in-depth stories, and interviews from the frontlines of the workers' movement. This week, Jiselle commemorates the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster speaking with Bangladeshi garment workers.  LISTEN

6.30 - 7.00am | Fire Up! Plumbers | PPTEU fortnightly show
Presented by members of the Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union (alternating fortnightly with the Maritime Union of Australia). An irreverent approach to the current day-to-day issues affecting workers in the industry, including Health and Safety, site conditions, and union news.
You can catch the MUA & PPTEU shows for live Fire Up! Shows on Sunday 4th May during the annual May Day activities, BBQ & rally – outside Trades Hall.   LISTEN

7.00 - 8.30am | Thursday Breakfast | Current Affairs & Analysis 
The Thursday morning 3CR Breakfast team bring you a veritable smorgasbord of May Day & workers’ current affairs content, with interviews and news, speaking with Mohammed Aruri (General Union of Palestinian Workers), Teresa Hetherington (United Workers' Union), Jeanine Hourani (Palestinian Youth Movement and Mask off Maersk Campaigner), and revisiting F**K  WORK, a special feature from 3CR's Disability Day 2022.  LISTEN

8.30 - 9.00am | Special Feature | Industrial Organising Then & Now
Jacob Grech (A Friday Rave) takes a look at how the historical relates to the contemporary in local industrial struggles.  LISTEN

9.00 - 9.30am | Special Feature | Worker Womens' Strength & Struggles
The Great ACT Laundry Strike of 1987 as told by Elba Cruz, a story of strength and solidarity between women on the picket line and the power that came from it. Produced by comrade Tanya McConvell as part of the NEMBC project Migrant Women in the Workforce, 2001. Later, a speech from Taslima Akhter and Rupali Akhter, recorded at the 2023 May Day for Freedom and Liberation Rally at the state library. Taslima is the president of Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity and Rupali, a survivor of Rana Plaza Disaster. Rupali tells her harrowing story of surviving the Rana Plaza collapse of April 24, 2013.  LISTEN

9.30-10.00am | Special Feature | Mutual Obligations & Unemployed Workers' Union
Unemployed workers' struggles, so-called ‘mutual’ obligations, and social security recipients forced work for the dole, earning well under minimum wage and often in sub-par conditions. Speaking to guests with lived experience of the system, and how the Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU) is pushing back. Presented by Danielle from 3CR's Breadline (presented by members of the AUWU).  LISTEN

10.00-11.00am | Talkback with Attitude | May Day ... Round Two! 
Ding Ding! It’s ROUND TWO after a big night on the blower for The Doctor, The Axe, MTL & G.O.D! Sound like a luchadores? That’s because they are! A quick kip and a plate o'beans with a second helping of Attitude will have the tireless talkback team wrestling each other to take your calls! 
Listeners who wanna chat workers campaigns, stories and struggles will get priority on the Mic. (03) 9419 0155 – or if you’re shy text us! On 0488 809 855.

11.00-11.30am | Showreel | Industrial Actions and Film
Jacob Andrewartha (Green Left Radio) presents a May Day special episode of Showreel with a spotlight on local on film that have focusing on industrial action, and the film industry as a workplace...  LISTEN

11.30am - 12.00pm | Published... Or Not! | The Work of Writing
Speaking to authors about their work and how it influences decisions and actions, and discussing the work of authors - a precarious existence at the best of times, one that influences our very culture - artists and their ability to work and how they can eke out a living.  LISTEN

12.00 - 1.00pm | Special Feature | Slacker Radio May Day Edition
Tilde and Jordan jump out of their usual TGIF drive-time program slot to get in on the May Day action, with their inimitable riffing on the usual... radical unionism, local street movements, complaints about waged labour and strategies to slack off at work (and still get paid). Of course also riffing in the form of guitar riffs.  LISTEN

1.00 - 2.00pm | Special Feature | Creatures of the Industry: Terry Riggs, Scaffolder & Rigger
Ralph Edwards (aka ‘Warren’ from The Concrete Gang) with part of his conversation with industry stalwart Terry Riggs about his experience as an industry all-rounder. Hear from Ralph's first guest in Series 8 of this oral history project: long-format interviews about the building and construction industry in Melbourne since the 1960s, as remembered by those who lived it.  LISTEN

2.00-3.00pm | Special Feature | Unbroken: Black Unionism and the Fight for Justice
Presented by Keiran Stewart-Assheton (yillamin), and marking the anniversary of the historic 1946 Pilbara Strike, Unbroken traces the long and powerful legacy of First Nations resistance in the industrial arena. From trailblazers like Andy Stepney to today’s formation of the BPU, we expose the failings of settler unions and spotlight the resurgence of Black unionism rooted in sovereignty, solidarity, and self-determination. Join us as we reckon with the past and imagine a union movement worthy of this land.  LISTEN

3.00 - 3.30pm | Beyond the Bars | NAIDOC Week Prison Broadcasts
First Nations inmates talk about their experiences of work and support inside and outside of prisons, structural factors contributing to recidivism rates (and their obvious solutions), and who profits from keeping people in prison. Curated excerpts from 3CR's long-running yearly prison broadcasts in anticipation of this year's live Beyond the Bars broadcasts, Mon-Fri during NAIDOC week: 7-11 July 2025.  LISTEN

3.30 - 4.30pm | The Sporting Record | Sportspeople at Work 
Casting a critical eye over the history and contemporary reality of sports as an industry - and issues for workers involved. Speaking also with former President of the AFL Players' Association, Justin Madden.  LISTEN

4.30 - 5.00 | Yeah Nah Pasaran | Fascism & Workers 
Jason Wilson joins Cam & Andy on the show to chat union politics in Portland, Oregon, plus the Trump regime more generally, as well as how migrant workers are faring so far under his presidency... and a bit of Musk.  LISTEN

5.00 - 6.00 | Global Intifada 
Global Intifada brings you current affairs through revolutionary & protest music from workers around the world.  LISTEN

6.00 - 7.00 | Hong Kongology | May Day Special
Hong Kongology radio present a special Cantonese May Day program with stories of early Chinese migrants in Australia, links to the global history of imperial conquests, and issues regarding labour rights in Hong Kong, including poetry and songs in a range of Chinese languages. LISTEN

7.00 - 8.00 | Mujeres Latinoamericanas
Marisol Salinas reports from the '8 Hour Memorial Wreath Laying' commemorating the winning of the 8-hour working day in 1856 and the 'International Workers Day 2025 for a Fighting Union Movement' rally at the State Library.  LISTEN

Sunday 4 May, 12.00pm - 2.00pm
3CR's two-hour LIVE outside broadcast from the yearly May Day Sunday event, which is organised by the Melbourne May Day Committee.  

^{MUA Fire Up! presenters speaking with young members Molly and Jessica}
Fire Up! presenters broadcast direct from the marquee, outside Trades Hall in Carlton, first half hour brought to you by the MUA, and the second by the PPTEU. LISTEN

^{Solidarity Breakfast presenters interviewing CFMEU Women Julie and Jannine}
May Day Rally sounds and speeches from Zach Smith (CFMEU National Secretary), and Tony Mavromatis (AMWU Vic Branch State Secretary). Solidarity Breakfast presenters Tobia and Vitto speak to attendees at the event: Julie and Jannine (CFMEU Women), James and Amelia (Defend the Unions - Defend the CFMEU), Geril (Anakbayan Melbourne Secretary General), Agapi (Greek Democritus Workers League), Molly (MUA member), a comrade from the Sri Lankan contingent of the rally, finishing up with some words from militant trade unionist Craig Johnston. LISTEN