Eight hour day

The Eight-hour day movement, also known as the Short-time movement, had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. With working conditions unregulated, the health, welfare and morale of working people suffered. The exploitation of child labour was common. The working day could range from 10 hours up to 16 hours for six days a week.

Related Topics:
Industrial Revolution - Britain - Factories

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Robert Owen had raised the demand for a ten-hour day as early as 1810, and instituted it in his socialist enterprise at New Lanark. As early as 1817 he had formulated the goal of the eight-hour day and coined the slogan Eight hours labour, Eight hours recreation, Eight hours rest. Women and children in England were granted the ten-hour day in 1847. French workers won the twelve-hour day after the February revolution of 1848. A shorter working day and improved working conditions was part of the general protests and agitation for Chartist reforms, and the early organisation of trade unions.

Related Topics:
Robert Owen - 1810 - New Lanark - 1817 - 1847 - 1848 - Chartist - Trade union

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The International Workingmen's Association took up the demand for an eight-hour day at its convention in Geneva in August 1866 declaring The legal limitation of the working day is a preliminary condition without which all further attempts at improvements and emancipation of the working class must prove abortive and The Congress proposes eight hours as the legal limit of the working day.

Related Topics:
International Workingmen's Association - 1866

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Although there were initial successes in achieving an eight-hour day in New Zealand and by the Australian labour movement for skilled workers in the 1840s and 1850s, most employed people had to wait to the early and mid twentieth century for the condition to be widely achieved through the industrialised world through legislative action.

Related Topics:
New Zealand - Australian labour movement

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The Eight hour day movement forms part of the early history for the celebration of Labour Day, and May Day in many nations and cultures.

Related Topics:
Labour Day - May Day

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