Before the Factory Acts, working conditions in factories were extremely brutal. Factories were noisy, dangerous, and unsanitary as owners cared little for their workers. Child labour was also a major down fall of factories.

The Original Acts Children under 18 had work time restricted Night working forbidden for those under 21 There was no enforcement

The Factory Act – 1833 Children under 9 are not to be employed Children under 13 were restricted to 9 hours a day, 48 hours a day, with 2 hours of school a week Young people couldn’t work from 8:30 pm to 5:30 am Laws were finally enforced

Key Points in the Multiple Acts: Young children couldn’t work and education was compulsory Hired children could only work half time Young people and women had their working time restricted and couldn’t be hired in some industries Mothers were given 11 weeks off after having a child

Charles Dickens was an writer during the times of the Industrial Revolution. He published many popular stories such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol.

After becoming a popular author, he made many people aware of the horrendous conditions of factories. At the age of 12, Dickens was forced into work at a factory. The experience scarred him for life.

The first Labour Day took place on September 5, 1882 in New York to honour the labour reforms created. The Canadian government create an official labour day also

Some countries such as China are still going through Labour Reforms today.