
A Fair Day's Work
The Quest to Win Back Time
$28.75
- Paperback
192 pages
- Release Date
12 August 2025
Summary
The length of the working day and the challenges of work–life balance are pressing issues for many Australians, as well as lively matters of public controversy. While the winning of the eight-hour day is celebrated as a past industrial achievement, contemporary discussions of working hours often overlook its rich history.
Tracing 150 years of campaigns for rights and for the fair distribution of productivity gains, historian Sean Scalmer shows how these movements successfully reduced …
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780522880816 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0522880819 |
| Author: | Sean Scalmer |
| Publisher: | Melbourne University Press |
| Imprint: | Melbourne University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 192 |
| Release Date: | 12 August 2025 |
| Weight: | 302g |
| Dimensions: | 36mm x 234mm x 154mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“The campaign to limit labour time and win leisure for the workers is the most significant of the Australian union movement’s past achievements and continuing struggles. Every Australian who has ever enjoyed a lazy Saturday afternoon barbecue, a day at the footy or a week down the coast should read this splendid book.” - Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History at the Australian National University
About The Author
Sean Scalmer
Sean Scalmer is a professor of history at the University of Melbourne and a fellow of the Academy of Social Science in Australia. He researches the history of social movements and democracy, considering both the national history of Australia and transnational and comparative histories. He has written seven books, including the prize-winning On the Stump (2017), Gandhi in the West (2011), Dissent Events (2002) and The Little History of Australian Unionism (2006).
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