Their Long Working Hours example essay topic

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution had transformed the economic and social structure of Europe. Europe shifted from a traditional, labor-intensive economy that was manly based on farming and handicraft to a more capital-intensive economy based on manufacturing with machines, specialized labor, and industrial factories. This revolution had changed Europeans, their society, and their relationship with other countries. The development of large factories forced people to move from the countryside to the urban areas. Men, women, and children were part of the work force. The children started to work as young as 8 yrs. old.

They would work long hours; 14 hrs a day 7 days a week, they would have little time to eat or take breaks, and they were paid very little. They lived quite a long distance from work, so they would have to wake up really early to go to work, and sometimes they wouldn't have much time to eat breakfast. They would be working in unhealthy conditions and in uncomfortable places, this would lead to a future with disabilities or they wouldn't see the future at all. "- When did you first begin to work in mills or factories?

When I was about 10 yrs. of age. -What were your usual hours of working? We began at five and gave over at nine, at five in the morning. -At what distance might you have lived from the mill? About a mile and a half.

-Is their not considerable dust in a flax mill? A flax mill is very dusty indeed! -What were your wages at 19 yrs. old at Mr. Beny ons? I think it was 4's [shillings] a week". In the mines it would be a little bit different, in a sense that they couldn't use boys under the age of 10 because they would need boys that would be a bit strong, in occasion they would have 4-5 boys under 10 yrs. old, and they would be working with their fathers. They would still need children to be in the small tunnels occasionally opening doors for ventilation, and pulling the chariots full of coal using a harness and chain / rope.

They would be in they most uncomfortable positions that, like I said before, would lead to disabilities when they grow up. "Not more than five or six boys under the age of 13; the two youngest are from eight to nine yrs. of age, who work with their fathers. The boys, in carting out from the goods [narrow inclined planes up which the coal is pulled by a chain and windlass]"Factories had rules, and their rules were strict and had to be obeyed. Their rules were as follows: 1) Work begins at 6 am and ends at 7 pm. Very little time for eating& break... Bell rings, they have to go to their workstations, when bell stops rings they must start work...

The doorkeeper locks the door in the morning and after break time so as not let the people in if late... Worker who arrive 2 minutes late lose a half hour wage, if late for more than two minutes they can't start work until the break and lose the days pay... Worker can be fined if the rules are broken. 2) When the bell rings for the people to go home no one is allowed to stay after the bell. People who stay after the bell must pay a fine. 3) No workers are allowed to leave before the bell.

If done so they must pay a fine. 4) If late for work constantly it will lead to dismissal, same goes for if late form break and don't want to go back to work. 5) If entered by any other way other than the gateway, they will be fined on 1st offense, 2nd will lead to dismissal. 6) No worker can leave his workstation other than if connected to work. 7) No one is allowed to talk to one another. 8) Smoking is prohibited; if caught they will be fined.

9) Every worker is responsible for his workstation, clean up, putting tools away. 10) Natural functions must be done in the appropriate place, [washroom]. 11) If done working on a piece it must be handed to the foreman in order to get a new piece. 12) Officials shall be obeyed without question, if disobedient they will be punished by dismissal.

13) If found drunk, it will lead to dismissal. 14) If lying to an official than it will lead to dismissal. 15) If harassed by a co-worker than it must be reported to his superiors. 16) Advances shall be granted to only the older workers.

17) A copy of these rules are given to all the workers, if lost they must pay a fine". In every large works, and in the co-ordination of any large number of workmen, good order and harmony must be looked upon as the fundamentals of success, and there fore the following rules shall be strictly observed". Other than working in unhealthy conditions these people live in very poor villages, which are overcrowded. No one is friends they are all against each other. These villages are unsanitary and with poor ventilation's. Sewers and gutters are blocked and overflowing, streets are unpaved, full of holes and horse dun.

These people who live in these villages have to walk to many miles to their work destination, which is hard for some people because they are sick and mal nourished. The streets are packed with thousands of people; mothers, fathers, and children, in the morning, every one goes to work at the same time and walk for long distances because no one can afford to have transportation. "Two and a half million pairs of lungs, two hundred and fifty thousand fires, crowded upon an area three to four miles square, consume an enormous amount of oxygen, which is replaced with difficulty because of the method of building cities in itself impedes ventilation". The chartists complained about a couple of things in the People's Charter, first it was about their living conditions, that how they were getting sick to often and how their villages are unsanitary, the second was about their working conditions, how their working conditions are unhealthy and uncomfortable which leads to a future with disabilities, and sometimes doesn't lead to a future at all. The third thing is about their wages, they feel as if they should be paid more for the work they do, that is their long working hours, short breaks, and seven days of working. The people finally realized that they way they were living and working was worth a lot more than what they were getting now".

These persons now most respectfully come before you to state the manifold grievances under which they are suffering".

Bibliography

. Sadler Commission Testimonies, Doc. 1 & 8. The Mines Commission, Doc. 10. Rules of The Factories, Doc. 6. Eagles, Doc. 2 & 12. People's Charter, Doc. 13.