Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

Eight Hour Day Launch

 Remembering the Eight Hour Day

Eight Hours Rest, Eight Hours Labour, Eight Hours Recreation

The descendants of Eight Hour Day Pioneer, James Stephens

 Descendants of Eight Hour Day Pioneer, James Stephens, with one of the heritage banners commemorating the achievement.

On 21 April 1856, stonemasons and building workers marched through Melbourne and gathered before Parliament. Their demands, regulated working hours with no loss of pay. Their win, the Eight Hour Day, an international first that would inspire many and earn Australia the title 'the worker's paradise'.

The Eight Hour Day, one of the Victorian union movement's greatest achievements, is only a memory to a growing number of Australian workers. Today, Australians work some of the longest hours in the OECD and people struggle to maintain a healthy work/life balance. 2006 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Eight Hour Day and VTHC will participate in a number of activities to mark the event.
> Join the Eight Hour Day Moomba Parade procession
> Eight Hour Day celebration launch 
> Eight Hour Day website 
> History of the Union Movement


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