Labour Day in NSW is a public holiday celebrated on Spring on the first Monday in October.
This annual public holiday celebrates the arrival of the eight-hour working day, a victory for workers in the 1850s.
History
Labour Day has its origins in the eight-hour day movement which advocated eight hours for work eight hours for recreation and eight hours for rest.
On April 21, 1856, stonemasons at the University of Melbourne marched to Parliament House to push for an eight-hour working day. An agreement with employers for a 48-hour week was eventually reached and Australian workers welcomed the new eight-hour day.
