The Condition of the Working Children – Then and Now
Prof. Dr. Stefan STRASSNER, LL.M., Berlin
Abstract
In 1776 Adam Smith published the work “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”. In 1842 England is the wealthiest nation in the world. When Friedrich Engels goes to England this year, he is particularly interested in the wealth of the general population, the “working class”. The results of his two years of research into the living conditions of workers and their families are published in his book "The Condition of the Working Class in England" in 1845.
If one applies frequency analysis, one of the content analysis methods, to the book, the part of the working family which Engels places particular attention on will be quickly recognized. The group that Engels concerns the most is not the parents (n = 63) or the grandparents (n = 3) but the children (n = 301) and their working conditions
With regard to the situation of working children, Engels is particularly interested in five questions:
1. From what age do the children have to work?
2. For what and why the children are employed?
3. What are the working conditions and the risks for the children?
4. How long must the children work?
5. How many children die?
In his book, Engels detailed the catastrophic situation of the working class, especially how the children struggle for surviving in England. Engels predicts the same situation to all nations that follow or will follow the English example.
But how will it end?
Engels saw three possible scenarios in 1845: The hopelessness and anger of the workers would lead to a revolt. Or the unions would become powerful enough to stop the exploitation of workers. Or the states would recognize their responsibility and would protect the workers and their families by law.
My speech will focus on the last scenario and will address three questions:
1. How the children were protected by law in England in 1845?
2. What was the first legal act to protect working children in Germany?
3. How is child labor regulated at international level in 2020?
