CHILD LABOUR
Child labour existed before the Industrial Revolution but with the increase in population and education it became more visible. In England and Scotland in 1788, two-thirds of the workers in 143 water-powered cotton mills were described as children. There was limited opportunity for education and children were expected to work. Children, employed as mule scavengers by cotton mills, would crawl under machinery to pick up cotton. They worked 14 hours a day, six days a week. Beatings were common, with some child coal miners and “hurriers”, which meant that they dragged coal carts through tight tunnels, working from 4am until 5pm.
Conditions were dangerous, with some children killed when they dozed off and fell into the path of the carts, while others died from gas explosions. Many children developed lung cancer and other diseases and died before the age of 25. Some lost hands or limbs, others were crushed under the machines, and some were beheaded. Young girls worked at match factories, where phosphorus fumes would cause many to develop phossy jaw. Phossy jaw is an occupational disease, the symptoms of phossy jaw are painful toothaches and swelling of the gums. Over time, the jaw bone would begin to abscess, it also caused serious brain damage. Children employed at glassworks were regularly burned and blinded, and those working at potteries were vulnerable to poisonous clay dust. There were plenty of children in the orphanages so they could be replaced easily if accidents did occur. Children as young as four were employed. They were much cheaper than adults so the factory owners did not have to pay them as much. They were also small enough to crawl under machinery to tie up broken threads, adults would not have stood for this. Those who ran away would be whipped and returned to their masters, with some masters shackling them to prevent escape.
Reports were written detailing some of the abuses, particularly in the coal mines and textile factories. The reports helped to popularise the children’s plight. The public outcry, especially among the upper and middle classes, helped stir change in the young workers welfare. Politicians and the government tried to limit child labour by law but factory owners resisted. Some factory owners felt that they were helping the poor by giving their children money to buy food to avoid starvation, and others simply welcomed the cheap labour. In 1833 and 1844, the first general laws against child labour were passed in Britain. Children younger than nine were not allowed to work, children were not permitted to work at night, and the work day of youth under the age of 18 was limited to twelve hours. About 10 years later the employment of children and women in mining was forbidden. These laws decreased the number of child labourers, however child labour remained in Europe and the United States. Today, there is still child labour in the world and it should be priority of world leaders to end it.