Pressure for Factory Reforms

Growth in population - people moved from the countryside to the industrial cities and towns

Industrialisation lead to the growth of factories, so employment shifted to meet the changing demands as due to the threshing machine, employment in agriculture was declining

The Government removed legislation that protected workers - discontent and evidenced their self-interest - employers could exploit workers

Decline of independence as employers endeavoured to instil an efficient, automated sense of working

Working week was six days long with 14-hour days

Workers faced fines for lateness or actions that reduced efficiency or if the employers felt resources were getting wasted

High injury rate because there were no safety barriers on machines - made worse by a tired workforce due to the long working hours

Risk of mining - miners were 'bound' so were not gaurenteed a working day or wage, flooding, gas explosions and collapsing shafts were very common

Women - lower wages than men and physical effects some jobs had on them effected home life as women had maintain the home too

     - low wages meant workers could not afford basic necessities

     - women always classed as unskilled so wages…