Labour Day

Labour Day is a day to remember the struggle for an eight hour working day. New Zealand workers were some of the first in the world to gain this right when in 1840, Samuel Parnell won an eight hour day in Wellington.

Labour Day was first celebrated in New Zealand on 28th of October 1890, when thousands of trade union members and supporters attended parades in the main centers. Government employees got the day off to attend the parades and many businesses closed for at least part of the day.

The date, 28 October was the first anniversary of the Maritime Council, a company of transport and mining unions. The new union was destroyed and put out of business in the trans-Tasman Maritime Strike; but despite this, Labour Day was a huge success. In Wellington, the highlight was a visit from the elderly Parnell, who died just a few weeks later.

These parades also had a political purpose. Although some workers in industries enjoyed the eight hour working day, it was not their legal entitlement. Other workers, like restaurant and shop employees still worked longer hours. Several also went through unpleasant and dangerous working conditions.
Unionists wanted the government to make it an eight hour working day for all workers, but they were reluctant to change the business community.

What the government did do was make Labour Day a holiday. The Labour Day Act of 1899 started a compulsory holiday on the second Wednesday in October. The holiday was "Mondayised" in 1910, and since then Labour Day has been held on the fourth Monday in October.

Parades were held on Labour Day, and there were many floats; but some floats just advertised businesses, and weren't showing what Labour Day was all about.
Soon, to most New Zealanders, Labour Day was just another holiday.