Humanities News

‘World of Work’ Summit

On 30 July, Nossal students from Years 9-12 attended the Young Workers Centre Leadership Program, located in the historic Trades Hall. Our day began bright and early as we all travelled to the city and met the teachers at the ‘8 Hour Day’ Monument on Russell St. We then crossed Victoria St and entered Trades Hall.

The program was centered around the 8-hour day movement, introduced in 1856 through to the 1920s. This change symbolises the standard 8-hour working day for workers’ and their contributions towards the nation’s economy. Our guides informed us that the development was introduced as labour workers put down their tools and advocated for change. Due to these events, the Trade Hall was also finally constructed as a designated place for workers to feel safe and share their thoughts with the wider community and board members.

Additionally, throughout the program, they incorporated parts of Trades Hall’s history into our activities, along with our rights as workers to stand up against unfair pay. The students were also able to listen to others on the panel speak up about their unpleasant experiences, as well as their glimmers of hope and despair throughout their journey for change. For those of us unaware of the situation, examples of underpaid staff and mistreated workers were brought to light to introduce the issues in our society today. However, as well as detailed talks from members of the union, we were divided into two groups and provided with many bonding activities. These activities not only showed us the severity of the pay gap, but also provided us with the opportunity to meet new people and interact with others with different experiences.

Finally, at the end of the day, we were given the opportunity to organise our own rally on the streets of Carlton. We were given banners, speakers, a chant and our hearts to advocate for our rights for equal pay. It was an experience to never forget for all of us. To get involved, the School Strike 4 Climate is also hosting a Global Climate Strike on 20 September for students to attend.

Namira Rahman

Year  9