The Factory Act
2
New legislature was recently released regarding factory work and conditions. The Factory Act of 1844 reduced children's working times to 6 and a half hours per day to be served in the morning or afternoon, but not both. People who are younger and women both have a limit to 12 hours of work forthe first five days of the week and an hour and a half for meals. Although this is helpful for workers in many ways and is important to support their health. However, many workers, although content that they are being supported and looked out for, are upset about the lower amount of hours that they can work and therefore the less money that they will be able to make. It seems that this law, although protecting the welfare of the workers, will not protect their wages and income. So, although this act was meant to look out for those who work in factories, it may not end up doing so. However, this also means that it will also be very hard to help those who need to be helped.
In addition to this rule regarding the number of hours that people can work, the Factory Act is also meant to protect workers by ensuring that accidents with injuries or deaths are reported. In addition, the factories should be cleaned regularly. Both of these rules will be a pro for the workers because it protects their welfare. However, there is one other measure taken by this act that would potentially could not be helpful to the workers and their incomes, which is the requirement of certificates of attendance of school for children. Many children must step in to help their families and therefore work in factories to support their family. This law would help people in the way it was meant to, but would not take care of them outside of work.
This act is intentionally a great act that would help society. However, it hopefully will do more help than hurt to the families that it concerns. Whether or not this act does help the families it aims to help, it is a very good thing that this act was made to look out for those people who are usually not looked out for in society. Now, we can only hope that it will do more help than hurt.
Written by Kelly Mulligan
Factory workers at their typical job