The match girls were factory
workers at the Bryant and May match production factory in the late 1800s. There
were girls who started their employ there as young as 13 years. They were
mostly poverty stricken, working under gruelling and dangerous conditions. The
pay was low and the work physically demanding with hours spent standing.
Despite the factory’s financially
success it seems there was little consideration for the health, safety and
welfare of the girls that kept business going. The girls were only permitted 2
breaks during the workday. They were fined for things that were considered
infractions such as any bathroom breaks outside the scheduled break times, having
untidy workstations, talking, or having dirty feet although some girls worked
barefoot because they could not afford shoes. Their deplorable working
conditions and the phosphorus products used in making the matches also put them
at risk of a type of bone cancer referred to as “phossy jaw” that resulted in
painful facial disfiguration. [1]
In 1888 the girls decided rise up
and challenge their rich and powerful employer. Their inhumane working
conditions had been exposed by an article written by a journalist and activist.
The factory responded by trying to pressure the girls into denying the story.
The girls resisted, initiating a walk out and staging the first industrial
action against the match making industry. Facing public anger and backlash, in
the end it was the wealthy and powerful employer that relented and sought to
improve the working conditions for the girls.
The match girls made history with
their defiance in the face of a powerful adversary and the hardships they faced.
Their actions resulted in progressive changes leading to improvements in work
conditions for themselves and the next generation of match girls.
References
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Match-Girls-Strike/
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/match-girls-strike/