Breaking The Factory Act Essay

Did the 1833 Factory Act solve the problem of child labour?

Introduction

As the industrial revolution began in Britain, there were no laws regarding factories. As a result, young children entered the workforce in bad conditions.

Children working in factories were overworked, received little to no education and were at risk of being injured. Unsafe working conditions and lack of rest also led children to be easily infected with illness and disease. Another issue was that the children were paid only 10-20% of what adult workers get for the same work. Children also received horrible living conditions which eventually led to health consequences both mentally and physically.

In an attempt to solve this issue the government made the Factory

In 1863 a report of the factory inspectors' report showed that there were several companies who still broke the law.

The most common offense was employing young persons after 6 pm “1862, Sept 20. Mary Jones, Courtgwillym. Employing three young persons after 6pm. Penalty amount 100£” In the report there were a total of 6 convictions. This shows that although there are companies and factories still breaking the law it is still significantly lower than before the act was made.

Another report made in 1836, just three years after the act was made, shows that Taylor, Ibbotson & Co. had broken the factory act. “They did not cease working till four o’clock on Saturday evening, having been two days and a night thus engaged. Believing the case scarcely possible, I asked every boy the same questions, and from each received the same answers.”

It describes a case where the children were made to work for over two days straight, without the required breaks and meal hours that are required by the law. This is a violation of the Factory Act and is an example of how employers at the time were willing to break the laws that were meant to protect child workers. Despite improving working conditions, limited working hours and mandatory schooling it did not completely solve the problem of child

On the positive aspect, one of the major differences is the prevalence of child labour. While it was common for young children to work dangerous and exhausting jobs during the industrial revolution, most developed countires now have strict laws prohibiting child labour and enforcing minimum age requirements for different types of work. The average minimum working age is 14-16.

Another major difference is the prioritization of education. During the revolution for children aged 9-13, they were required to have elementary schooling for only 2 hours a day. Today, education is fundamental for children with most countries having laws to ensure that all children go to school.

However this issue still exists in countries. It is often viewed as a human rights violation. More efforts are made to ensure children have access to education and are protected from exploitation and abuse. In BC “ Employment standards act like raising the minimum age of formal employment ” and “Fewer young Canadians working since the 2008 recession” from a 2019 CBC news article shows that the world is making better changes to improve working conditions for children and to remove child labour as a