Labour Day, a time to celebrate

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, October 21st, 2009 - 16 comments
Categories: Unions, workers' rights - Tags:

Hunter demurred, this was preposterous; but Parnell insisted. ‘There are,’ he argued, ‘twenty-four hours per day given us; eight of these should be for work, eight for sleep, and the remaining eight for recreation and in which for men to do what little things they want for themselves. I am ready to start tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, but it must be on these terms or none at all.’

Other employers tried to impose the traditional long hours, but Parnell met incoming ships, talked to the workmen and enlisted their support. A workers’ meeting in October 1840, held outside a hotel is said to have resolved to work eight hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., anyone offending to be ducked into the harbour.

‘I arrived here in June, 1841,’ a settler told the newspaper in 1885, ‘found employment on my landing, and also to my surprise was informed that eight hours was a day’s work, and it has been ever since.’

By 1890 the eight-hour working day had become standard for tradesmen and labourers. Trade unions publicised the campaign for shorter hours by holding annual processions late in October on what became known as Labour Day. In 1899 Labour Day became a public holiday and became a suitable occasion to pay tribute to Parnell and the other pioneers of the eight-hour day.

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16 comments on “Labour Day, a time to celebrate ”

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  1. Stephen Day 1
    21 October 2009 at 3:57 pm

    Thanks for publicising this site! We’ve got ten books to give away to people who visit the site and enter the competition. Also if anyone has material or info they want to contribute to the site let me know – I’m keen to have other union members and working people involved in our Labour Day promotions.

  2. Brett Dale 2
    21 October 2009 at 4:07 pm

    And under National you can enjoy your paid day off, knowing you have more money in your pocket because of them.

    • snoozer 2.1
      21 October 2009 at 4:10 pm

      who does, brett?

      Not anyone earning less than $44K who gets Working For Families. Or anyone at all on less than $20 odd K.

      Not anyone who has lost their job while this governmetn has twiddled their thumbs

      Not any of the people who have had their wages frozen while the cost of living keeps rising.

      Oh, you’re talking about the rich, eh Brett?

    • mickysavage 2.2
      21 October 2009 at 4:20 pm

      Brett are you on wingnut trolling duty today?

  3. Clint Heine 3
    22 October 2009 at 12:55 am

    Pity the Unions of today don’t have the same admirable qualities of those who really fought for workers rights back then. Now it’s all about following Labour and stuffing the workers.

    • felix 3.1
      22 October 2009 at 1:36 am

      Yes Clint. You and ACT and the BRT are big on workers rights, more so than anyone else, and you’d all support the unions if they were too.

      Give it a rest you boring drunk.

  4. Clint Heine 4
    22 October 2009 at 2:39 am

    Felix? What’s with the drunk talk? What climbed up your butt this morning?

    Care to share?

  5. Clint Heine 5
    22 October 2009 at 2:45 am

    Oh and Felix buddy, I was quite active as a young Labour fella back in the day. Unions these days are not as trailblazing as they used to be. Many even like to intimidate others…. I see my good friend Shawn Tan was attacked by a Unite Union employee over the past weekend. What gives?

    • felix 5.1
      22 October 2009 at 9:57 am

      So you’re just a hack for whoever you’re drinking with at the time, eh? No surprises there. Never noticed you having much interest in policies or issues, it’s just “ra ra my team”. Just a sportsfan really, aren’t you Clint?

  6. Ron 6
    22 October 2009 at 7:34 am

    Young Labour, Clint? Really? Would had to have been when you were at primary school, wouldn’t it?
    BTW – looks like Shawn took a leaf out of Mr Hide’s book when it comes to corruption.

  7. Clint Heine 7
    22 October 2009 at 7:43 am

    Hey Ron, err a little after that buddy! What put me off was the quite openly endorsed violence and threatening behaviour from my “comrades”. I questioned it just once and ended up on the other end of it….so I moved the hell away from it 🙂

  8. Clint Heine 8
    23 October 2009 at 11:29 am

    Ohh…wow, you sure showed me didn’t you!? Well except for the fact checking 🙂

    • felix 8.1
      23 October 2009 at 11:38 am

      You really think those smiles help, don’t you? 🙂

      You’re such a gimp 🙂

      Don’t you have some porn to play with or something 🙂

  9. Clint Heine 9
    31 October 2009 at 4:17 am

    Oh diddums Felix. Nothing to say but purile insults.

    You sure told me didn’t you? Har har har.

    🙂

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