9781422282724

EMPLOYMENT AND WORKERS’ RIGHTS

Eight prominent labor activists and anarchists were arrested and convicted for conspiracy in connection with the Haymarket Riot, although no one was ever charged with actually throwing the explosive. One of the eight committed suicide in prison, four others were hanged, and the remainder were pardoned. The police were subsequently criticized for overreacting and firing on the crowd, while many argued that the four hanged men were innocent. The episode initially led to a loss of support for unions and workers’ rights, but over time the incident galvanized labor groups and helped lead to the establishment of May Day (May 1) as an international labor holiday. Labor Reforms Rising violence and growing sentiment that economic reforms were needed led governments to pass a series of measures in the late 1800s and early 1900s that defined the modern conception of workers’ rights. One of the central demands of workers was a reduction in the workday from the 14 or 16 hours common in the 1700s. In 1848, France cut the workday to 12 hours. In 1856, Australia initiated the 8-hour workday for certain skilled laborers, including stonemasons; the 8-hour workday was expanded to all professions in the 1920s. In the United States, the 8-hour workday was instituted in 1916 for railroad workers, but others did not gain the reduction until the 1930s and 1940s. Reformers also won restrictions on child labor. As early as 1841, France banned child labor in factories before the age of 8. In 1938, the United States prohibited employing children under 16 in dangerous occupations such as mining or manufacturing. Additional rules were put in place in 1949. Often, these measures also included efforts to regulate the safety of the workplace. For instance, an 1872 British law mandated the use of a number of safety precautions for miners. French laws of the same period regulated the use of dangerous chemicals in manufacturing and set minimum hygiene standards in company kitchens and restrooms.

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