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Hello
everyone it is Labour Day here in Australia, well in my part of
Australia it is now I am going to share with you a little about
labour day in Australia, it is also known as Eight Hour Day in
Tasmania (Tassie) and May Day in the Northern Territory.
What
is Labour Day well it is the day that commemorates the granting of
the eight-hour working day for Australians. Now I think a lot of
younger people take the eight-hour working day for granted, yes I
know there are those who work 12 hour shifts but over all most people
work an eight-hour day five or six days a week.
Of
course it is a public holiday and its date caries across the states
and territories, many people use the holiday as part of a long
weekend where they can relax and spend time with friends and/or
family, many like to just kick back and watch sport and have barbies.
In
Western Australia it is observed on the first Monday in March and on
the second Monday in March in Victoria and Tassie, in the Northern
Territory it is held on the first Monday in May, thus why it is
called May Day in the Northern Territory.
The
history of Labour Day in Australia spans over a century, during the
1800's the working day was long and difficult with many working 12
hours or more six or seven days a week. It was in 1856 that the
stonemasons at the University of Melbourne marched on Parliament House
to push for and eight-hour working day. Eventually they managed to
reach and agreement for a 48-hour working week and workers welcomed
the new eight-hour day.
A
victory march was held on the 12th
May that year and each year after that, the new work regulations were
recognised in New South Wales next followed by Queensland in 1858 and
South Australia in 1873 and Tassie in 1874.
It
was in 1879 that the Victorian Government made one further step
towards better conditions for employees by proclaiming a paid public
holiday that year.
Of
course some people have to work on a public holiday such as Labour
Day when this happens the person gets paid penalty rates which can be
time and half or double time or double time and half this means say
you are on $20 an hour if you got time and half you would be paid
instead $30 an hour. So some people don't mind if they have to work
on a public holiday also if you work on a weekend you are paid at a
higher rate also.
Happy Labour Day! The unions in the U.S. worked so hard to obtain better working conditions here, and Wal-Mart has undone it all.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
So true well I don't know about Wal-Mart but I get how much work was done by unions to improve the conditions of workers
DeleteThe conservatives here in the US have made labour a bad word here but I'm from a blue-collar family that worked in coal mining. It's a dangerous vocation, but even more dangerous before the labour movement forced them to improve working conditions, wages, and benefits.
ReplyDeleteI'm for labour because they have done so much good for the working man/woman.
My grandfather and great-grandfather were miners my grandfather was working in the mines at the age of 14 and was injured and was in hospital on ward while his mum was on another ward and my great-aunt (his sister) hid the fact that he had been injured and was in hospital from her.
DeleteGood post Jo-Anne. No, not a holiday down here today.
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
ReplyDeleteThat was a very early date for achieving an 8-hour work day!
As I have worked still a 42-hour week in the late 60s myself, in The Netherlands that is.
Sending you hugs and happy Labour Day to you!
Mariette
Yes I didn't realise how early it came in force myself till I did the research for this post
DeleteWow, you'd think someone would coordinate all these three-day weekends.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the day!
Yeah different states different dates it would be easier to remember these dates if they were all the same all over the country
DeleteI wondered how you had a May Day in October. Thanks for ironing that out, or I was going to have to re-think all I thought I knew about Down Under.
ReplyDelete