Labour Day

Labour Day is a New Zealand public holiday commemorated each year on the fourth Monday in October
Labour Day celebrates when the eight hour working day and the 48 hour working week became the law in New Zealand in 1899. (This was later changed to 40 hours)
The idea of an eight hour day was started in New Zealand by Samuel Parnell, a carpenter in Wellington
In 1840 Parnell refused to work for more than eight hours each day, and because there were not many people who had his carpentering skills in New Zealand at the time, his employers had to agree to him working those hours.
Other workers also bargained for an eight day, but as more skilled workers came to New Zealand and competed for work, employers were able to change the conditions of employment to suit themselves.
Parnell and others kept working for improvements to working conditions for tradespeople and labourers.
In 1890 on the first Labour Day Samuel Parnell led a parade of 1,500 people to commemorate the establishment of the eight hour day.
Nine years later Labour Day became an official public holiday to be commemorated on the second Wednesday in October. This was changed to the fourth Monday in 1910.

More Information

Read Labour Day by Kevin Boon for more information on Labour Day in New Zealand or check out these websites