Editing Labour law (section)

===Child labour===
A serious outbreak of fever in 1784 in [[cotton mills]] near [[Manchester]] drew widespread public opinion against the use of children in dangerous conditions. A local inquiry presided over by Dr [[Thomas Percival]], was instituted by the [[Justice of the peace|justices of the peace]] for [[Lancashire]], and the resulting report recommended the limitation of children's working hours.<ref>From an " Essay on Trade " (1770), quoted in ''History of Factory Legislation,'' by [[Elizabeth Leigh Hutchins|B. Leigh Hutchins]] and [[Amy Harrison (author)|Amy Harrison]] (1903), pp. 5, 6.</ref> In 1802, the first major piece of labour legislation was passed − the [[Health and Morals of Apprentices Act 1802|Health and Morals of Apprentices Act]]. This was the first, albeit modest, step towards the protection of labour. The act limited working hours to twelve a day and abolished night work. It required the provision of a basic level of education for all apprentices, as well as adequate sleeping accommodation and clothing.

The rapid industrialisation of manufacturing at the turn of the 19th century led to a rapid increase in child employment, and public opinion was steadily made aware of the terrible conditions these children were forced to endure. The [[Cotton Mills and Factories Act 1819]] was the outcome of the efforts of the industrialist [[Robert Owen]] and prohibited [[child labour]] under nine years of age and limited the working hours to twelve. A great milestone in labour law was reached with the [[Factories Act 1833]], which limited the employment of children under eighteen years of age, prohibited all night work, and, crucially, provided for inspectors to enforce the law. Pivotal in the campaigning for and the securing of this legislation were [[Michael Thomas Sadler|Michael Sadler]] and the [[Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury|Earl of Shaftesbury]]. This act was an important step forward, in that it mandated skilled inspection of workplaces and rigorous enforcement of the law by an independent governmental body.

A lengthy campaign to limit the working day to ten hours was led by Shaftesbury and included support from the [[Anglican Church]].<ref>{{citation |title=The Ten Hours' Bill |newspaper=The Times |url=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/126/803/158807039w16/purl=rc1_TTDA_0_CS117603378&dyn=3!xrn_5_0_CS117603378&hst_1?sw_aep=mclib |date=18 January 1847 |page=7 |issue=19449 |access-date=19 August 2011}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Many committees were formed in support of the cause and some previously established groups lent their support as well.<ref>Yale University Library holds full-text versions of the Ten Hours' Advocate in its microfilm department</ref> The campaign finally led to the passage of the [[Factory Act 1847]], which restricted the working hours of women and children in British factories to effectively 10 hours per day.<ref>Bloy, Marjorie http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/factmine/factory.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310170558/http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/factmine/factory.htm |date=2014-03-10 }} "The Factory Question" accessed 20&nbsp;March 2009</ref>