The Significance of Labour Day
30th Sep, 2016
Australian Labour Day
The first Monday of October marks Labour Day for the ACT, NSW and SA!
For most people, Labour Day is a long weekend; a chance to relax at home on a Monday instead of getting up early for work! The weekend also marks the beginning of daylight savings, when the clocks go forward by one hour at 2 am for NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT. (For SA and NT, the clocks go forward by only half an hour.)
Aside from simply being a day off, Labour Day actually has an interesting history that we felt was worth exploring…
The History of Labour Day
We’re lucky to be living in a time with fair working conditions and a right to some decent rest. However, back in the 1800s, working life was arduous and exhausting with many employees working over 12 hour shifts, sometimes six days a week!
With improved working conditions in desperate need of being addressed, stonemasons at the University of Melbourne showed up at Parliament House on April 21, 1856 to demand a working day that lasted only eight hours. Eventually, a 38 hour working week was agreed and Australians could relax in the knowledge that they would get enough rest each day. The first Labour Day marches took place on May 1, 1891 in Queensland.
Whether you’re choosing to spend your extra day off with family and friends or simply planning to kick back and relax, Your World is wishing everyone celebrating Labour Day a happy and restful long weekend!