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What inspired the 8-hour day strike? 170 years on since Melbourne Stonemasons won the 8-hour day

I have written on the Stonemasons and their struggle for the 8-hour day on my history substack: byrnel.substack.com/p/what-inspi...

Stonemason leader James Galloway gave voice to this in a way that (unfortunately) resonates strongly today when he said that he and his fellow unionists wanted 'to better our condition, and not to act the mere part of machinery.’

Crowd with banners from the 8 hour day movement

170 years ago today Stonemasons in Melbourne won the 8 hour day - often presented as a one day strike, this was the culmination of a significant struggle.

The Stonemasons were demanding more than a reduction in working hours. They were demanding that their fundamental humanity be recognised.

ABC staff across the country walked off the job at 11am today for 24 hours for secure jobs, fair pay and the future of quality public broadcasting all Australians rely on.

Share this post to show your support.

#QualityNewsQualityJobs

Thanks so much @booklearning.bsky.social !

No Power Greater, Liam Byrne Unions are making a comeback. Labour disputes around the world have hit the headlines as unions take action to challenge inequality. But while media coverage has increased, understanding of unions has not. In this lively history of Australian unionism Liam Byrne seeks to illuminate what unionism means, exploring why successive generations of working people organised unions and nurtured them f...

2. No Power Greater, by @liamj47.bsky.social . An introduction to what's possible, and to the concept of standing for things and fighting for them. www.mup.com.au/books/no-pow...

Tell me we are in an #AI bubble without saying we are in an AI bubble.

Social Democracy’s Muted Revival What is the place of social democracy in the post-pandemic era, and the economic crisis that has followed in its wake?

Look forward to reading it @redrabbleroz.bsky.social - I wrote this one for PQ a couple of years ago now, already feels very dated! politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/social-...

Book review: A Fair Day's Work Reviewing Sean Scalmer's new history of shorter hour campaigns

byrnel.substack.com/p/book-revie...

A review of Sean Scalmer's new book "A Fair Day's Work" on my history substack (originally published on Australian Policy and History). Scalmer's book is a substantial contribution to the study of campaigns over working time with lessons and implications for today (link to article in comments)

The Tailoresses Strike! December 1882 How workers negotiated technological change

byrnel.substack.com/p/the-tailor...

How have workers shaped technological change through collective action?
In the latest post on my substack I look at the Tailoresses Strike of 1882 as an example of worker agency amid industrial and technological transformation (link in the comments).

@workingclasshistory.com @sslh.bsky.social @unitedworkers.org.au @profaus.bsky.social @ieua.bsky.social @australianunions.bsky.social @anmffederal.bsky.social

You can get a copy here: www.booktopia.com.au/no-power-gre...

This Christmas, why not give your friends, comrades, and loved ones the greatest gift of all: union history! Share the gift of historical knowledge why you still can with the book Prof. Frank Bongiorno called "easily the best single-volume Australian general union history we have seen." #skystorians

If only there was a way to deliver quality universal health coverage without waiting for the false promise of a superintelligent robot "army".

Strong agree - and tend to be very narrow in their understanding of the economic challenges of the time. The entire post-war growth model was stuttering to an end and nobody really knew how to respond. Whitlam deserves more credit for insisting mass unemployment was not the way to resolve the crisis

One day, not too long from now, future historians are going to look back on the day when people decided to give Elon Musk a trillion dollars and wonder just what the hell was wrong with us. #AI #tech #histsci

Absolutely floored by this review of my book "No Power Greater" by Frank Bongiorno.

Frank is one of the finest historians this country has produced, and someone whose work I respect deeply.

And the book is, of course, available at all good book stores (and possibly some bad ones)

Great article, really useful rejoinder as well to the assumptions underpinning the AI booster arguments that the only way to prosper in the new economy is to undercut established standards, rather than seeking to responsibly use new tech to elevate them

📚Our last Book+Author event for the year is coming up on October 30!

Liam Byrne will be in conversation with Professor Sean Scalmer about his book 'No Power Greater: A history of union action in Australia' at the intimate Bard's Apothecary in the Melbourne CBD.

➡️ Book now: tinyurl.com/4zas4ws4

A thoughtful and generous review of my book, "No Power Greater", by John Howe. Lovely to read the critical reflections of such a renowned expert in labour law on the work - and always appreciate appeals for a sequel!

Thanks so much Lauren! That's lovely to hear

Have we reached peak #AI inanity? "Pope Leo XIV said a proposal to create an AI-version of him so people could have a virtual audience with the pope pretty much horrified him."

Thanks so much Eleanor, really glad you enjoyed it! The next episode (next week) is on the Russian Rev with Dr Natasha Wilson

I am not usually excited about podcasts but I love the concept of this one (helps that I am currently obsessed with revolutions, particularly the French one). Ep 1 was great!