英國工會運動與女工會聯盟, 1890-1921 ; Trade Union Movement and the Women's Trade Union League in Britain

計畫編號:NSC88-2411-H006-003 ; 執行機構:成功大學歷史學系 ; 研究期間:1998-08~1999-07 ; 此研究計畫共包括兩個大部分,其一是英國工會主義早期的發展;其二是火柴女工在1888年的大罷工與女工會同盟 (WTUL) 幫助他們組織工會,並進而對政府施加壓力以改善工廠立法,達到保護工人基本生存權的目的。在第一部份,基本上我以介紹英國工會早期的演變與其特色為主。其中1888年的火柴女工大罷工,是新工會主義出現的一個轉捩點,之後工會主義走向一個新方向。第二部份,則以女工會同盟協助工人向資本家爭取改善工作環境,進而向政府要求禁用黃磷,以杜絕工人磷中毒的危險。政府,資本家與工會,三方面處於各自不同的立場。初期,政府為了國家經濟的利益,與資本家同一陣線,以犧牲工人的利益為原則;工會與社會其他改革者則以工人利益為先,不願犧牲工人的健康與生命來換取國家經濟利益。長久以來,雙方互相進行拉鋸式的協商,政府逐漸以工業立法的方式,要求廠商改善工作環境,以保護工人安全。資本家則擔心自己利益受損提出反對。直到1913年,在國內外的壓力之下,政府才通過禁用黃磷的法律,永遠的確保火柴工人不再受磷中毒的威脅。 ; There are two parts in this research project. One is the historical development of the English Trade Unionism in its early times, and another is that how the Women's Trade Union League contributed to release the industrial danger for women workers from the match industry. The characters of trade unionism were demonstrated by the history of Trade Unions in the Nineteenth Century. The Match Girls' Strike in 1888 was considered as the turning point in the history of trade unions that led consequently to the emergence of the New Trade Unionism, a kind of militant trade unionism. The establishment of the Match Girls' Union was a remarkable success. This union continually worked on improving the working conditions in the match factories and workshops which were generally deplorable. In addition, the Match Girls' Union struggled for the factory legislation to prohibit the use of phosphorus in making matches because workers got necrosis of the jaw (or phossy jaw) by the attack of phosphorus poisoning. A strong opposition rose up out of manufacturers since this legislation would negatively affect the profits of manufacturers. Government, manufacturers and trade unions took three different perspectives in dealing with factory legislation. In the beginning, the government lined with manufacturers for making profits of the nation rather than taking care of workers' health. After struggling for a long time, trade unions won over the government side as a result of strengthening the factory legislation. Finally, the act ...