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Why did early labour laws focus on children and young workers?
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Labour law
Diorite stela inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi, 18th century bce.
Early labour laws focused on children and young workers primarily as a humanitarian response to the widespread exploitation and abuse that emerged during the Industrial Revolution. As large-scale manufacturing replaced domestic production, children were frequently consigned to long hours of tedious, dangerous, and physically damaging work in mines and factories.123
The movement for reform was driven by several key factors:
- Physical Harm: Evidence presented to parliamentary committees, including testimony from children who had been crippled in factory accidents, highlighted the severe physical toll of industrial labor.1
- Moral and Humanitarian Concerns: Critics like Richard Oastler argued that the factory system violated the natural right to live well, prompting a push for limits on working hours for those under age 18.1
- Developmental Needs: Legislators recognized that child workers required access to education, leading to mandates for part-time schooling alongside employment restrictions.1
These early efforts, such as the Factory Act of 1833, were essential steps in establishing the principle that society has a moral obligation to protect vulnerable workers from hazardous conditions that impede their normal development.12