Labor Day in Australia
Description:
If you look closely, you can see 888 figures on many buildings in Australia. The figures came as a sign of support for the British socialist Robert Owen, who genuinely believed that people needed 8 hours to work, 8 hours to rest and have fun and 8 hours to sleep. This philosophy helped propel the 8 Hours movement forward.
On April 21, 1856, stonemasons and construction workers in Melbourne stopped working and marched from the University of Melbourne to the Houses of Parliament, calling for an 8-hour workday. Their action was successful, and the residents of the city themselves are recognized as the first organized workers in the world to achieve the transition to an 8-hour working day without losing wages. Which, of course, inspired others. It is called Labor Day or May Day.
It is worth mentioning that before the working day lasted much longer – from 10 to 12 hours six days a week. While changes in the duration of the worker was achieved in the late 50s. In the 19th century, the transition to a five-day work week took nearly a century. The turning point was only ... 1948.
Most countries in the world celebrate Labor Day on May 1.
In Australia, this holiday is tied to different dates in different states of the country. In Western Australia it is the first Monday in March (March 5), in Victoria and Tasmania it is the second Monday in March (March 12), in Queensland and the Northern Territory it is the first Monday in May (May 7). For the Capital Territory (i.e. Canberra), New South Wales and South Australia, Labor Day is the first Monday in October (October 1). And all because in different states to work for 8 hours a day came at different times.
On Labor Day, Australians rest or participate in parades, remembering all the achievements made by unions on behalf of workers and for workers.