Labour Day – October 3, 2022, history, significance
Australian Labour Day, which draws its origin from the eight-hour day movement, is celebrated on different dates in different states. It’s commemorated every first Monday of October, on October 3 this year, in New South Wales, ACT, and South Australia.
Northern Territory and Queensland celebrate theirs every first Monday of May, while it occurs on the second Monday of March in Tasmania and Victoria. Did you know that the workers in Australia were the very first to achieve a reduction in working time without a salary cut?
Through the success of its eight-hour movement, Australia inspired workers in other countries, including the U.S., to campaign for shorter hours, which eventually led to the declaration of International Workers Day.
HISTORY OF LABOUR DAY
Labour Day stems from a struggle to obtain fairer working conditions for workers in Australia. It recognizes the need to empower workers, who are the very backbone of every economy. Labour Day is an encompassing term for the different days when the struggle for shorter working hours is celebrated in Australia.
The history of Labour Day can be traced back to the 1800s when some workers were required to work for close to 12 hours and had only one day off during the week. On April 21, 1856, the stonemasons at the University of Melbourne put down their tools and marched to the Parliament House, protesting for an eight-hour working day. That led to employers agreeing to a 48-hour week, and a victory march was held on May 12, 1856, marking a start to the first Labour Day celebration.
Some states in Australia followed suit between 1856 and 1879 by creating an eight-hour working day regulation. That includes New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria, each having its day for Labour Day celebration.
After the Second World War, Labour Day was moved from May to the second Monday of March in some Australian states. This commemorated the day when most western Australian workers were granted eight-hour working days.
But workers in Queensland campaigned for it to be marked on May 1 to enable them to be part of the international campaign for May 1 to be the official International Workers Day. That led to Australia’s first May Day parade on May 1, 1891, seeing over 1,000 people participate in the march.
Labour Day parades are still done every year around March, May, and October to appreciate the unions’ struggles for every Australian worker. Workers get to take that day off from work as it’s also a public holiday.
LABOUR DAY TIMELINE
May 12, 1856
The First Labour Day Parade
Workers march out in Melbourne to celebrate the eight-hour working day agreement.
May 1, 1890
May Day in Australia
The first May Day meeting is held in Australia, as referenced by the Brisbane Workers editorial.
May 1, 1891
The May 1 Parade
Over 1,000 people march in Barcaldine, Queensland, to campaign for an international workers’ day.
1903
The Eight-Hour Monument
A golden globe featuring a 888 symbol is erected in Melbourne.
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HOW TO OBSERVE LABOUR DAY
Take part in the historical Labour Day parade
If you haven’t previously participated in a Labour Day parade, this upcoming Labour Day presents an opportunity. The Labour Day parade is a key part of the Labour Day celebration, and hundreds of people always show up every year to march. Check where the Labour Day parade will happen in your area, mark the date, and get ready to put your marching boots on.
Host a barbecue
You have the entire day off on Labour Day, so why not host a barbecue for friends and neighbors. If you don’t know how to barbecue, take a crash course online or ask one of your friends. Get all the things you need for a barbecue and send out invitations. Don’t forget to make contingencies in case some of your guests are vegetarians.
Take a deserved short trip with family or friends
What is the best thing you can do on holiday? Road trip! Since Labour Day usually falls at the end of a weekend, you can take a trip to the countryside or mountains. It’s best to prepare in advance. Research and identify the place you would like to go to, check with your family or friends to see who is interested, and make the necessary preparations.
5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE EIGHT-HOUR MOVEMENT
It inspired workers in the U.S.
Seeing the success of the eight-hour movement in Australia, 200,000 American workers left their work and protested for an eight-hour day, too.
The Haymarket Affair influenced it
The execution of the four American workers in the Haymarket bombing incident made the International Working Men’s Association and labor unions in Australia campaign for international May Day.
Only union members benefited
Most of the people that benefited from the successes of the eight-hour movement in its early days were union members.
Union membership is declining
According to the Australian parliament, union membership has dropped by a million between 1976 and 2016.
Working hours are increasing
Despite the eight-hour movement’s success, working hours have increased over the years, and technology makes it possible to take your work home.
WHY LABOUR DAY IS IMPORTANT
It is a public holiday
Labour Day is a public holiday, which means you get to take the entire day off from work. That gives you a day to spend with friends and family and kick back and relax without worrying about deadlines.
It recognizes the need for everyone to have a right to a healthier life
The eight-hour movement was inspired by Robert Owen, who suggested everyone needs eight hours of work and eight hours of rest. While an eight-hour day may not be relevant today, the idea behind it was right. It shows people need more breaks and a healthier lifestyle to be more productive.
It recognizes the importance of workers
Labour Day recognizes the need for workers to be empowered as they are a crucial element to the growth and development of an organization and the country, not slaves to their employers’ dreams and goals.
