After years of campaigning by SDA Union, Easter Sunday will become a public holiday in Tasmania from 2027.
For years, Tasmania was one of the only states in Australia where Easter Sunday was not a public holiday. While workers in most other states received public holiday rights and penalty rates, Tasmanian retail and fast food workers missed out.
Thanks to SDA campaigning, that has now changed. From Easter Sunday 2027, Easter Sunday will be a declared public holiday in Tasmania, giving thousands of workers access to the public holiday entitlements they deserve.
This historic win means workers will have the choice to take the day off or receive public holiday penalty rates if they work. It brings Tasmania into line with most of the country.
The SDA is proud to have led this campaign on behalf of members and will continue fighting to protect public holidays, penalty rates and fair pay for retail and fast food workers.
Updates
Easter Sunday Declared a Public Holiday in Tasmania
A historic win for Tasmanian workers, Easter Sunday has officially been declared a public holiday after legislation passed both Houses of Parliament.
This victory follows years of campaigning by the SDA and means retail and fast food workers will now receive the public holiday entitlements they deserve when working on Easter Sunday.
Thank you to the thousands of SDA members and supporters who backed this campaign, and to the parliamentarians who voted to fix this long-standing gap in Tasmania’s public holiday laws.
This is a significant win for workers, families and fair workplace rights across Tasmania. The change is set to come into effect in 2027.
Easter Sunday as a public holiday has passed Tasmania’s Lower House, a major step towards fixing an unfair gap for Tasmanian workers.
Thank you to Tasmanian Labor for tabling this bill, and to the Tasmanian Greens and independent crossbenchers for supporting this important step forward.
The bill will now need to be tabled and debated in the Upper House. We’ll keep members updated as it progresses.