Labour Day (New Zealand)

Labour Day is a public holiday in New Zealand, and it is observed on the fourth Monday in October each year. The holiday is a holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the eight-hour day movement, which is eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

In the 1800s, most workers had to work over 12 hours a day and 7 days a week to maintain a basic living, which led to the appearance of labor unions organizing strikes to improve the poor working conditions.

Many of the strikes turned violent at that time including the Haymarket Affair, which took place on May 4, 1886. The event started with a peaceful labor protest rally in support of the eight-hour workday near Chicago\’s Haymarket Square, and it turned into a riot when someone threw a bomb at police. At least seven police and four civilians died, and many were wounded. The Haymarket Affair is generally considered as the origin of Labour Day.

People started to celebrate Labour Day in New Zealand in 1890, however, only in 1899, Labour Day become a stationary holiday. In 1990, people celebrated the first Labour Day holiday on the second Wednesday in October, and in 1910, the holiday was \”Mondayised\” and moved to the fourth Monday in October.

The following is the list of Labour Day in New Zealand from 2022 to 2026.