Monday, October 6, 2008

Public Holiday, Labour Day

Today is a public holiday in South Australia (Adelaide) , Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) and New South Wales (Sydney) , the day is called Labour Day, it is also known as 8 hour day in other states.
The other states and territories have it on other days,
March 3 2008 Western Australia (Perth)

March 10 2008 Tasmania (Hobart)
March 10 2008 Victoria (Melbourne)


Labour Day is celebrated at different times in Australia because each state achieved the 8 hour day on different dates.

Labour day is to celebrate the achievements of organised labour on behalf of the worker to bring about the 8-hour day in the late 1850s.

Previously workers were required to work long hours each week . . . 10 to 12 hours a day six days a week. While a change was made to the hours worked each day, the five day work week we enjoy today took almost a century longer to be adopted finally in 1948.
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