Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-08-23
LABOR LAWS OF EUROPE.


to employ children under twelve years
in any mandatory, and those between
twelve and fourteen years may only
work six hours daily at the most, Of
which at least three hours must consist
OF necessary instruction. Children be-
tween fourteen and sixteen years may
be employed for ten hours per day in
general manufactures, and in spinning
works for eleven hours. Night-work,
which means between $50 p. n. and
$50 a. M, as also Sunday work, is, for
children, prohibited, except in cases
of urgent necessity, when special per-
mission must be obtained from the Bun
desrath For adult women there is
comparatively very little protection in
Germany. Married women are not
allowed to resume work within three
weeks after confinement. In all cases
the Bundesrath has authority, through
moral or healthful considerations, to
either prohibit entirely the labor of wo-
men in certain industries or to allow the
same under restrictions and conditions.
1t has also authority to forbid night
work. In number of special trades
for instance rolling mills, iron and glass
works, wire-works, dye-works, cigar
factories, etc. these restrictions are
vigorously enforced.
Relative to those persons under eigh-
teen years of age, of both sexes, en-
ployed in professions or trades otherwise
than in factories, the employers are
compelled by a special section of the
German labor laws (section 1901 to take
all necessary precautions for the health
and morals Of their employees, and to
allow some sufficient and ample time for
the lettering of their condition by at
tending any educational institute.
Similar rules, more generalized, exist
in Austria also. There the new labor
regulations exact that children under
twelve years are entirely prohibited
from working; and those between twelve
and fourteen years are restricted to eight
hours per day, and only allowed to work
at all when it is evident that said work
is not injurious,
Other rules exist, also, for the protec-
ton of children, youths, and women,
among which is the ministerial decree of
July IS, 1888, which makes it impera.
tive in any manufacturing establish
ment employing more than twenty
hands that the work be evenly divided
between them, and to regularly change
machines, to lessen the strain. In such
manufactures children under fourteen
years are not employed at all, and those
from fourteen to sixteen years may only
undertake such light work as could not
impair their health or bodily growth.
The ordinance must distinctly designate
| those manufactures in which women or
| children are allowed under certain con.
ditions and those which prohibit their
employment entirely. In those manu-.
factories where the work consists of
eleven hours out of the twenty.four
without reckoning the pauses, women
or children are prohibited from any
night-work, which means from S p. IN.
to a. m.
The minister of commerce may make
exceptions. The law of June 81, 1884,
relative to mining, has the following
clause: Children under fourteen years
of age are not allowed as laborers." An
exception is made by which children
between twelve and fourteen years may
be employed for light work during the
day and girls or women may only WORK
during the day, Boys under sixteen and
girls under eighteen may be employed il
mining, only when said labor can not
jeopardize their health.
In Hungary the law of November
1884, is in full force. This law forbid'
the employment of children under ter
years in manufactures, and allows
those between ten and twelve years only
by special permission of the trades au
thorities and when the labor would MOI
interfere with their attendance at school
The working hours are fixed by the
trades authorities at eight hours fol
children of twelve to fourteen years; ter
hours for children of fourteen to sixteer
years. Night and Sunday work is for
hidden, as are also those industries dan
gerous to health and limbs, except by
special permission. Women are not tt
be employed within four weeks aftel
confinement.
In Great Britain there are special lawt
governing the employment of womer
and children, which are reduced to ;
special code by the trades and manufac
turers' rules, issued on May 27, 1873
The substance of the very complicated
law is as follows: In the textile indus
tries the laboring hours for women ant
children between fourteen and eighteen
wears are from six To seven hours in thu