Doherty and The Factory Reform Movement
It is whilst working as a publisher that Doherty’s interest in the factory reform movement peaked and following his release from prison due to slanderous comments made within the aforementioned journal, The Voice of the People, he became involved with fellow radical Robert Owen. Together they set about obtaining fairer working hours and conditions for factory workers and formed the Society for Promoting National Regeneration.
Doherty published The Poor Man’s Advocate and within this told the story of Robert Blincoe, a former child labourer. This led Doherty to turn his interest to the working conditions of women and children, particularly the exceptionally long days many were expected to work. Doherty set about campaigning for reduced working hours of no more than ten per day, known as the Ten Hours Bill. Parliament finally agreed to these requests as part of the 1847 Factory Acts and Doherty’s relentless work had paid off.
Read more about this topic: John Doherty (trade Unionist)
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