Aim: Examine Unionization and Legislative Reform

Unionization Factory workers faced long hours, dirty and dangerous conditions, & the threat of being laid off To press for reforms, workers joined together in voluntary labor associations called unions. Union spoke for all the workers in a particular trade Unions engaged in collective bargaining, negotiations between workers and their employers If owners refused these demands, union members could strike or refuse to work 2

Unions in Great Britain Union movement underwent slow, painful growth in Britain British government denied workers the right to form unions Government saw unions as a threat to social order and stability Combination Acts of 1799 & 1800 Outlawed unions and strikes Factory workers joined unions anyway 1824: Parliament repealed the Combination Acts British unions shared goals of raising wages & improving working conditions for their members 3

Reform Laws Reformers and unions forced political leaders to look into abuses caused by industrialization New laws reformed some of the worst abuses of industrialization 1820’s & 1830’s: Parliament began investigating child labor & working conditions in factories 1833: Parliament passed the Factory Act- Illegal to hire children under 9 years old Children ages 9-12 couldn’t work more than 8 hours 1842: Mines Act prevented women & children from working underground 1847: Ten Hours Act- Limited workday to ten hours for women & children who worked in factories 4