The London Matchgirls' Strike (1888)
The match makers
In 1888, women workers at the Bryant & May match factory in London refused to work in a protest against long hours, low pay and hazardous conditions. This unofficial strike, carried out by a group of women without the backing of an official trade union or financial assistance, was unprecedented. It caught the public imagination, and won the support of many well-respected and influential middle-class reformists: most notably, the social activist, writer and orator, Annie Besant.
Besant ran a half-penny weekly newspaper, The Link. It was mainly concerned with employment issues, such as, sweated labour, unhealthy working-conditions, child labour and prostitution. The front page was inscribed with a quotation by Victor Hugo: ‘I will speak for the dumb. I will speak of the small to the great and the feeble to the strong...I will speak for all the despairing silent ones.’ This set the precedent for the paper’s ethical concerns, in giving voice to the poor and disadvantaged.
Besant heard about the terrible working conditions of the match workers at a Fabian meeting about female labour. She subsequently went off to interview the women herself, and was outraged by what she found. The women had to work 14 hours a day for less than 5 shillings a week. Moreover, they frequently did not receive their full pay due to a vigorous fine system that was in place. They could be fined for plethora of misdemeanours, such as, being late; talking; dropping matches; and not asking permission to go to the toilet. However, the most horrifying issue was the awful effects on health caused by the white phosphorus used to make the matches: yellowing of the skin; hair loss; and, in some cases, the excruciatingly painful, phossy jaw - a cancerous-like disease which eat away the jaw bone - caused by the inhalation of phosphorus fumes. Besant wrote a scathing article in her newspaper about the terrible way the women were treated.
Bryant & May tried to get their workers to sign a statement saying they were happy with their working conditions. Some of the women refused to sign, and were consequently dismissed; although, on the pretext of some other unrelated grounds. In protest, the other women refused to work, and, shortly after, the whole factory of 1400 workers ceased work and went on strike. Out of work with no means of an income, this was a very courageous, if not dangerous, thing to do.
The women turned to Besant for advice. She was apparently shocked at this turn of events, but did her utmost to help them. The women formed a matchgirls’ union with Besant as their leader. She helped to publicise the women’s plight, and urged her readers to boycott Bryant & May matches. The strike caught the attention and sympathy of many well-respected middle-class reformers. Emmeline Pankhurst, the founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union (W.S.P.U) (later, the suffragette movement) became involved. She writes in her autobiography: ‘I threw myself into this strike with enthusiasm , working with the girls and with some women of prominence, amongst these the celebrated Mrs Annie Besant...It was a time of tremendous unrest, of labour agitation, of strikes and lockouts. It was a time also when a most reactionary spirit seemed to take possession of the Government and the authorities.’
Under adverse publicity and tremendous public pressure, after three weeks, Bryant & May caved-in, and agreed to take back the dismissed women. They also abolished the fine system. Overall, the strike was a huge success and gained national publicity. It helped to inspire the formation of trade unions all over the country, and is generally regarded as one of the most significant events in the history of labour organisation.
Besant ran a half-penny weekly newspaper, The Link. It was mainly concerned with employment issues, such as, sweated labour, unhealthy working-conditions, child labour and prostitution. The front page was inscribed with a quotation by Victor Hugo: ‘I will speak for the dumb. I will speak of the small to the great and the feeble to the strong...I will speak for all the despairing silent ones.’ This set the precedent for the paper’s ethical concerns, in giving voice to the poor and disadvantaged.
Besant heard about the terrible working conditions of the match workers at a Fabian meeting about female labour. She subsequently went off to interview the women herself, and was outraged by what she found. The women had to work 14 hours a day for less than 5 shillings a week. Moreover, they frequently did not receive their full pay due to a vigorous fine system that was in place. They could be fined for plethora of misdemeanours, such as, being late; talking; dropping matches; and not asking permission to go to the toilet. However, the most horrifying issue was the awful effects on health caused by the white phosphorus used to make the matches: yellowing of the skin; hair loss; and, in some cases, the excruciatingly painful, phossy jaw - a cancerous-like disease which eat away the jaw bone - caused by the inhalation of phosphorus fumes. Besant wrote a scathing article in her newspaper about the terrible way the women were treated.
Bryant & May tried to get their workers to sign a statement saying they were happy with their working conditions. Some of the women refused to sign, and were consequently dismissed; although, on the pretext of some other unrelated grounds. In protest, the other women refused to work, and, shortly after, the whole factory of 1400 workers ceased work and went on strike. Out of work with no means of an income, this was a very courageous, if not dangerous, thing to do.
The women turned to Besant for advice. She was apparently shocked at this turn of events, but did her utmost to help them. The women formed a matchgirls’ union with Besant as their leader. She helped to publicise the women’s plight, and urged her readers to boycott Bryant & May matches. The strike caught the attention and sympathy of many well-respected middle-class reformers. Emmeline Pankhurst, the founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union (W.S.P.U) (later, the suffragette movement) became involved. She writes in her autobiography: ‘I threw myself into this strike with enthusiasm , working with the girls and with some women of prominence, amongst these the celebrated Mrs Annie Besant...It was a time of tremendous unrest, of labour agitation, of strikes and lockouts. It was a time also when a most reactionary spirit seemed to take possession of the Government and the authorities.’
Under adverse publicity and tremendous public pressure, after three weeks, Bryant & May caved-in, and agreed to take back the dismissed women. They also abolished the fine system. Overall, the strike was a huge success and gained national publicity. It helped to inspire the formation of trade unions all over the country, and is generally regarded as one of the most significant events in the history of labour organisation.
