Labor history
Labor law or labour law is the body of
laws,
administrative rulings, and precedents which address the relationship between and among employers, employees, and
labor organizations, often dealing with issues of
public law. It is distinguished between
employment law
which deals only with employment
contracts and issues regarding employment and
workplace
discrimination and other
private law issues.
Hours of Labor
Before the
Industrial Revolution, the workday varied
between 11 and 14 hours. With the growth of
capitalism and the introduction of
machinery, longer hours became far more common, with 14-15 hours being the norm, and 16 not at all uncommon.
The first law on the length of a working day was passed in
1833 in England, limiting
miners to 12 hours, and children to 8 hours. The 10-hour day was established in
1848, and
shorter hours with the same pay were gradually accepted thereafter. In the
United States, employers generally accepted the 8-hour day as of
1912.
The
Wages and Hours
Act of
1938 set the maximum standard work week to 44 hours, and in
1950 this was reduced to 40 hours.
Safety concerns
Other labor laws involve safety concerning workers. The earliest
English
factory law was drafted in
1802 and dealt with the
safety and health of
child
textile workers.
Unions
Unions were legalised in
1825, although agreements among members to seek better hours
and wages were punishable as
conspiracy until
1871.
