Thousands of Queensland workers to march this Labour Day: "Hands Off Our Safety"

MEDIA RELEASE

30 April 2026

Thousands of union members and their families will take to the streets across Queensland this Monday, 4 May, to celebrate Labour Day and send a clear message: Hands Off Our Safety.

Marches and community events will be held across the state – from Brisbane to Ipswich, Toowoomba, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, and across Queensland's mining communities.

Queensland Council of Unions General Secretary Jacqueline King said Labour Day remains a powerful reminder of what working people can achieve when they stand together.

"It is a day workers' and their families come together to celebrate and recognise the hard-won rights we enjoy today. Rights that were never given, but fought for by generations of unionists," Ms King said.

"In Queensland, that fight dates back to the 1880s, when workers first marched in Queensland in Barcaldine to support striking shearers and for the concept of dignity at work."

Ms King said this year's marches come at a critical time for workers' rights, workplace safety and compensation laws.

"Right now, we are seeing workplace protections come under attack from the Crisafulli LNP Government – fundamental rights to a safe workplace and to compensation and support when workers are injured," she said.

"The LNP Government has announced it is reviewing enforceable WHS Codes of Practice – safety rules created by industry to manage high risk hazards and turn them into optional guidelines, as well as access to psychological claims within the state's strong workers compensation scheme".

"That's why unionists across Queensland are mobilising under one clear message: Hands Off Our Safety."

Ms King said the campaign is about defending laws that save lives and protect workers when they are injured.

"Safety laws are not red tape. They exist because workers have been killed, injured and traumatised. They were written in blood," she said.

"When protections are weakened, workers' pay the price, and so do their families."

Labour Day, observed in Queensland on the first Monday in May, commemorates the historic achievements of workers and the labour movement, including the eight-hour day campaign and campaigns for annual, sick and long service leave that have helped shape modern working conditions.

More than a century on, Labour Day marches continue to bring workers together to celebrate progress, and to stand up for the rights that still need defending.

"Queensland Labour Day marches are the best attended in the country and something every Queenslander should be proud of", Ms King said.

"We will always stand up for fair wages, safe workplaces, and dignity at work.

"And we will fight like hell to protect them."