May Day
Eight Hours Day
Australian workers marked their presence in the world history, being among the first ones who won an eight-hour work week without loss of pay. The number 8, as proclaimed by the British socialist Robert Owen, became a prominent symbol in the countrywide celebrations of Labour Day. Called May Day in the Northern Territory and Eight Hours Day in Tasmania, it is a public holiday in entire Australia, though its date varies among the states and territories depending on when they adopted the eight hour policy. Nowadays, in Western Australia it falls on the second Monday in March, and in Victoria and Tasmania, a week after. The Northern Territory observes the holiday on the first Monday in May. The remaining regions celebrate on the first Monday of October, though Queensland aligned with them only in 2012 (previously having observed it in May). Labour Day honors the working people of Australia and the devotion of the country’s trade unions.
The fight for the rights of an employee began in the middle of the 19th century, when people have had enough of working from 10 to 14 hours a day and of their jobs being constantly threatened. In 1855, the stonemasons in Sydney proclaimed an impending protest for the eight-hour work week; some of them, the employees of the Holy Trinity Church and Mariners Church, went on strike before its assumed date, but still won. The first big protest was held in Melbourne on April 21, 1856. The city’s stonemasons marched to Parliament House and achieved their desired goal with no decrease in salary. The victory parade took place on May 12, and the news spread quickly to other states and territories, among whom New South Wales decided to adopt the new policy that same year. In 1858, Queensland joined, in 1873 – South Australia, and Tasmania a year later. On May 1, 1890, all state capitals in Australia organized May Day assemblies. The next year, around a thousand people in Queensland participated in a successful march. It was not until January 1, 1948, however, that the eight-hour work week would be established as a five-, and not a six-day routine.
Before 1934, the holiday had been traditionally called Eight Hours Week. Referencing the name, many Labour Day celebrations use the symbol “888”, which appears on buildings and banners. The historical Eight Hours Procession held in Melbourne turned into the Melbourne Moomba Festival parade in 1955. The celebrations of Labour Day vary from social and political events honoring the unions through colorful marches and parades and outdoor family activities. It is a good time to rest from work or to spend a free weekend actively. It is a public holiday in all states and territories, which means that most government and private institutions are required to be closed. A majority of businesses also do not open, and the employees who decide to work on that day need to be granted additional pay or an extra day off. Labour Day is a celebration of the ordinary people, the salt of the earth, who build the country’s prosperity and make it a better, more secure place.