MANUAL LABOUR

Samuel Parnell a carpenter in Petone early 1840, was the founder of the 8 hour working day. Thanks to Sam we get the 4th Monday in October as a public holiday.

It was reported that when asked to build a store for one Mr George Hunter, Samuel's reply was "I will do my best, but I must make this condition, Mr. Hunter, that on the job the hours shall only be eight for the day ... There are twenty-four hours per day given us; eight of these should be for work, eight for sleep, and the remaining eight for recreation and in which for men to do what little things they want for themselves. I am ready to start to-morrow morning at eight o'clock, but it must be on these terms or none at all."

You know Mr. Parnell,' Hunter replied, 'that in London the bell rang at six o'clock, and if a man was not there ready to turn to he lost a quarter of a day'. 'We're not in London', said Parnell. With few tradesmen in the young settlement, Hunter had little choice but to accept the carpenter's terms. As Parnell later wrote, 'the first strike for eight hours a-day the world has ever seen, was settled on the spot.'

Parnell's response reminds me of the "you're not in Guatemala now Dr Ropata" quote.

Labour weekend is a celebration of the efforts of our forebears' to keep work to civilised hours, it is also traditionally a time for planting out the vege garden and gearing up for summer.


Don't let the sunset on your weekend without balancing your 3x8hrs per day as per recommendation of Samuel Parnell

Sunset off Waiotahe Beach