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| {{legend|#ff0000|No public holiday on 1 May and no Labour Day}}|400px]] | | {{legend|#ff0000|No public holiday on 1 May and no Labour Day}}|400px]] |
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| '''Labour Day''' ('''[[Labor Day]]''' in the United States) is an [[Year|annual]] [[public holiday|holiday]] to celebrate the achievements of [[worker]]s. Labour Day has its origins in the [[trade union|labour union]] movement, specifically the [[eight-hour day]] movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. | | '''Labour Day''' ('''Labor Day''' in the United States) is an annual public holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the trade union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. |
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| For most countries, Labour Day is synonymous with, or linked with, [[International Workers' Day]], which occurs on 1 May. For other countries, Labour Day is celebrated on a different date, often one with special significance for the labour movement in that country. | | For most countries, Labour Day is synonymous with, or linked with, International Workers' Day, which occurs on 1 May. For other countries, Labour Day is celebrated on a different date, often one with special significance for the labour movement in that country. |
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| In [[Canada]] and the [[United States]], Labour Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September and considered the unofficial end of [[summer]], with [[summer vacation]]s ending and students returning to school around then. | | In Canada and the United States, Labour Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September and considered the unofficial end of summer, with summer vacations ending and students returning to school around then. |
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| ==International Workers' Day== | | ==International Workers' Day== |
| {{main|International Workers' Day}}
| | For most countries, "Labour Day" is synonymous with, or linked with, International Workers' Day, which occurs on 1 May. Some countries vary the actual date of their celebrations so that the holiday occurs on a Monday close to 1 May. The remainder of this article addresses those countries for whom Labour Day is ''not'' linked to International Workers' Day. |
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| For most countries, "Labour Day" is synonymous with, or linked with, [[International Workers' Day]], which occurs on 1 May. Some countries vary the actual date of their celebrations so that the holiday occurs on a Monday close to 1 May. The remainder of this article addresses those countries for whom Labour Day is ''not'' linked to International Workers' Day. | |
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| ==Other dates==
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| ===Australia===
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| Celebrating the [[Australian labour movement]] and specifically the achievement of a working day limited to eight hours, the Labour Day public holiday is fixed by the various [[States and territories of Australia|state and territory]] governments, and so varies considerably. It is the first Monday in October in the [[Australian Capital Territory]], [[New South Wales]] and [[South Australia]]. In [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] and [[Tasmania]], it is the second Monday in March (though the latter calls it Eight Hours Day). In [[Western Australia]], Labour Day is the first Monday in March. In the [[Northern Territory]] and [[Queensland]] it is called May Day and occurs on the first Monday in May.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/special-dates-and-events/public-holidays|title=Australian Government: National Public Holidays|publisher=australia.gov.au|accessdate=7 March 2016}}</ref> It is on the fourth Monday of March in the territory of [[Christmas Island]].
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| The first march for an eight-hour day by the [[Australian labour movement#Early history|labour movement]] occurred in Melbourne on 21 April 1856.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alldownunder.com/australian-dates/holiday-labour-day.htm|title=Australian Public Holidays: Labour Day|work=alldownunder.com|date=1998|accessdate=7 March 2016}}</ref> On this day stonemasons and building workers on building sites around [[Melbourne]] stopped work and marched from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an [[eight-hour day]]. Their direct action protest was a success, and they are noted as being among the first organised workers in the world to achieve an 8-hour day, with no loss of pay.<ref name="LewisBalderstone2006">{{cite book|author1=Wendy Lewis|author2=Simon Balderstone|author3=John Bowman|title=Events that Shaped Australia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6TVAAAACAAJ|accessdate=7 March 2016|year=2006|publisher=New Holland Publishers|isbn=978-1-74110-492-9|page=57}}</ref>
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| === Bangladesh ===
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| Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati, an organization working for the welfare of garment workers, has requested that 24 April be declared Labour Safety Day in [[Bangladesh]], in memory of the victims of the [[2013 Savar building collapse|Rana Plaza]] building collapse.<ref name = "dwelle2404">{{Cite web|title = Thousands mourn collapse victims of Rana Plaza garment factory one year on|publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]]|accessdate=20 July 2014|date=24 April 2014|url=http://www.dw.de/thousands-mourn-collapse-victims-of-rana-plaza-garment-factory-one-year-on/a-17589288}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bangladesh.officialpublicholidays.com/national-holiday|last=Official Public Holidays|title=Bangladesh Official Public Holidays|accessdate=27 December 2015}}</ref>
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| ===Bahamas===
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| Labour Day is a national holiday in the Bahamas, celebrated on the first Friday in June in order to create a long weekend for workers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/bahamas|last=timeanddate|title=Holidays in The Bahamas in 2015|accessdate=27 December 2015}}</ref> The traditional date of Labour Day in the Bahamas, however, is 7 June, in commemoration of a significant workers' strike that began on that day in 1942. Labour Day is meant to honor and celebrate workers and the importance of their contributions to the nation and society. In the capital city, Nassau, thousands of people come to watch a parade through the streets, which begins at mid-morning. Bands in colorful uniforms, traditional African [[junkanoo]] performers, and members of various labour unions and political parties are all part of the procession, which ends up at the Southern Recreation Grounds, where government officials make speeches for the occasion. For many residents and visitors to the Bahamas, the afternoon of Labour Day is a time to relax at home or perhaps visit the beach.
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| ===Canada===
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| [[Image:1900s Toronto LabourDay Parade.jpg|thumb|right|A Labour Day parade in Toronto, Canada in 1900]]
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| Labour Day ([[French language|French]]: ''Fête du Travail'') has been celebrated in Canada on the first Monday in September since the 1880s. The origins of Labour Day in Canada can be traced back to December 1872 when a parade was staged in support of the Toronto Typographical Union's strike for a 58-hour work-week.<ref name="CanEnc">{{cite web |work=The Canadian Encyclopedia |title=Origins of Labour Day |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/origins-of-labour-day-feature/ |first=James |last=Marsh}}</ref> The Toronto Trades Assembly (TTA) called its 27 unions to demonstrate in support of the Typographical Union who had been on strike since 25 March.<ref name="CanEnc"/> [[George Brown (Canadian politician)|George Brown]], Canadian politician and editor of the ''[[Toronto Globe]]'' hit back at his striking employees, pressing police to charge the Typographical Union with "conspiracy."<ref name="CanEnc"/> Although the laws criminalising union activity were outdated and had already been abolished in Great Britain, they were still on the books in Canada and police arrested 24 leaders of the Typographical Union. Labour leaders decided to call another similar demonstration on 3 September to protest the arrests. Seven unions marched in [[Ottawa]], prompting a promise by Canadian [[Prime Minister]] Sir [[John A. Macdonald]] to repeal the "barbarous" anti-union laws.<ref name="CanEnc"/> Parliament passed the [[Trade Union Act]] on 14 June the following year, and soon all unions were seeking a 54-hour work-week.
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| The Toronto Trades and Labour Council (successor to the TTA) held similar celebrations every spring. American [[Peter J. McGuire]], co-founder of the [[American Federation of Labor]], was asked to speak at a labour festival in Toronto, Canada on 22 July 1882. Returning to the United States, McGuire and the [[Knights of Labor]] organised a similar [[parade]] based on the Canadian event on 5 September 1882 in New York City, USA. On 23 July 1894, Canadian Prime Minister [[John Sparrow David Thompson|John Thompson]] and his government made Labour Day, to be held in September, an official holiday. In the United States, the New York parade became an annual event that year, and in 1894 was adopted by American president [[Grover Cleveland]] to compete with [[International Workers' Day]] (May Day).
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| While Labour Day parades and picnics are organised by unions, many Canadians regard Labour Day as the Monday of the last long weekend of summer. Non-union celebrations include picnics, [[fireworks display]]s, water activities, and public art events. Since the new school year generally starts right after Labour Day, families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer.
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| An old fashioned tradition in Canada and the United States frowns upon the wearing of white after Labour Day. Explanations for this tradition vary; the most common is that white is a summer colour and Labour Day unofficially marks the end of summer. The rule may have been intended as a status symbol for new members of the upper and middle classes in the late 19th and early 20th century.<ref name="CanEnc"/>{{failed verification|date=April 2013}}<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Ask.com |title=Why aren't you supposed to wear white after Labor Day? |url=http://www.schoolholidaysguide.com/articles/labour-day-labor-day/ |date=13 September 2002}}</ref>
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| A Labour Day tradition in [[Atlantic Canada]] is the Wharf Rat Rally in [[Digby, Nova Scotia]], while the rest of Canada watches the [[Labour Day Classic]], a [[Canadian Football League]] event where rivals like [[Calgary Stampeders]] and [[Edmonton Eskimos]], [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] and [[Toronto Argonauts]] (except in [[2011 CFL season|2011]] and [[2013 CFL season|2013]], due to scheduling conflicts), and [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] and [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] play on Labour Day weekend. Before the demise of the [[Ottawa Renegades]] after the 2005 season, that team played the nearby [[Montreal Alouettes]] on Labour Day weekend. Since the [[2014 CFL season]], when the [[Ottawa Redblacks]] began play, the Montreal–Ottawa Labour Day tradition has once again been observed. Likewise, [[Ontario University Athletics]] has a long-established tradition to play [[college football|university football]] on Labour Day.
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| The Labour Day parade in [[Grand Falls-Windsor]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] started in 1921 and still continues today, over 90 years later. The celebrations go on for three days with a parade on Labour Day Monday.
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| ===Jamaica===
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| Before 1961, 24 May was celebrated in Jamaica as Empire Day in honour of the birthday of [[Queen Victoria]] and her emancipation of slaves in Jamaica.<ref name="jam">{{cite web |work=National Labour Day 2008 |url=http://www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/labourDay2008/history.htm |title=History of Labour Day |publisher=Jamaica Information Service}}</ref> As its name suggests, the day was used to celebrate the British Empire, complete with flag-raising ceremonies and the singing of patriotic songs. In 1961, [[Jamaican Chief Minister]] [[Norman Washington Manley]] proposed the replacement of Empire Day with Labour Day, a celebration in commemoration of 23 May 1938, when [[Alexander Bustamante]] led a [[British West Indian labour unrest of 1934–1939|labour rebellion]] leading to Jamaican independence.
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| In 1972, [[Jamaican Prime Minister]] [[Michael Manley]] promoted Labour Day as a showcase for the importance of labour to the development of Jamaica, and a day of voluntary community participation to beneficial projects.<ref name="jam"/> Since then, Labour Day has been not only a public holiday but also a day of mass community involvement around the country.
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| ===New Zealand===
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| In New Zealand, Labour Day is a public holiday held on the fourth Monday in October. Its origins are traced back to the eight-hour working day movement that arose in the newly founded [[Wellington]] colony in 1840, primarily because of carpenter [[Samuel Parnell]]'s refusal to work more than eight hours a day. He encouraged other tradesmen also to work for only eight hours a day and in October 1840, a workers' meeting passed a resolution supporting the idea. On 28 October 1890, the 50th anniversary of the eight-hour day was commemorated with a parade. The event was then celebrated annually in late October as either ''Labour Day'' or ''Eight-Hour Demonstration Day''. In 1899 government legislated that the day be a public holiday from 1900. The day was celebrated on different days in different provinces. This led to ship owners complaining that seamen were taking excessive holidays by having one Labour Day in one port then another in their next port. In 1910 the government stipulated that the holiday would be observed on the same day throughout the nation.
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| ===Trinidad and Tobago===
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| In [[Trinidad and Tobago]], Labour Day is celebrated every 19 June. This holiday was proposed in 1973<ref>[http://library2.nalis.gov.tt/Default.aspx?tabid=268 Trinidad and Tobago Labour Day]</ref> to be commemorated on the anniversary of the 1937 [[Tubal Uriah Butler|Butler]] labour riots.
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| ===United States===
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| {{Main|Labor Day}}
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| In the United States, Labor Day is a [[federal holiday]] observed on the first Monday of September. It is customarily viewed as the end of the [[summer]] vacation season.<ref>Johnson, Yelena. [http://www.celebrations.com/article/Labor-Day-End-of-Summer-White-Party Labor Day End of Summer White Party], Celebrations.com. Retrieved 5 October 2009.</ref> Many schools open for the year on the day after Labor Day.<ref>Helderman, Rosalind S. "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/05/AR2009090502666.html Issues That Matter to You: School Start After Labor Day]"; ''The Washington Post'', 6 September 2009.</ref> The holiday is shared with [[Canada]], where it is known as '''Labour Day'''.
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| ==References== | | ==References== |
Countries and dependencies colored by observance of
International Workers' Day or a different variant of
May Day or Labour Day:
Labour Day falls or may fall on 1 May
Another public holiday on 1 May
No public holiday on 1 May, but Labour Day on a different date
No public holiday on 1 May and no Labour Day
Labour Day (Labor Day in the United States) is an annual public holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the trade union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.
For most countries, Labour Day is synonymous with, or linked with, International Workers' Day, which occurs on 1 May. For other countries, Labour Day is celebrated on a different date, often one with special significance for the labour movement in that country.
In Canada and the United States, Labour Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September and considered the unofficial end of summer, with summer vacations ending and students returning to school around then.
International Workers' Day
For most countries, "Labour Day" is synonymous with, or linked with, International Workers' Day, which occurs on 1 May. Some countries vary the actual date of their celebrations so that the holiday occurs on a Monday close to 1 May. The remainder of this article addresses those countries for whom Labour Day is not linked to International Workers' Day.
References
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Categoty: Zambian Holidays
