| Since1750s, British Industrial Revolution was booming. Due to the expanding of production technologies and capacity, sweated labor occurred, which triggered the issue of wage. As one source of labour force, sweated labour contributed to the British Industrial Revolution; a lot of problems, however, followed. In order to stop the opposing voice from the society and improve the situation of sweated labour, the British government was forced to start investigations, issue decrees and search for feasible solutions. According to researches, the period, from the middle of the18th century to the beginning of the19th century, was the darkest for the British working classes especially for the sweated labour. They were treated unfairly and unreasonably in the way of extra working loaded, unreasonable overtime working, awful working and living condition, and huge family and society pressure on female sweated labour.Due to the seriousness, a lot of historian, sociologist, societies and organizations started following the steamed labour issue. They appealed the British government to issue decrees to improve working and living condition, increase wages, and provide necessary benefit for the sweated labour. Because of the huge pressure from the society, especially from women’s rights groups and labour unions, Minimum Wage Legislation proceeded in1896. There were three major stages of the legislation:laissez-faire stage (1896-1905), developing stage (1906-1908), and finalizing stage (1909). In the laissez-faire stage, average wage and truck system were applied, yet it was not the true minimum wage. In the developing stage, labour movement was booming. Labour unions on behalf of the labour negotiated fair wages, working conditions, and benefits with the government. In1909, the Minimum Wage Legislation was eventually issued. Worker’s minimum wage, working and living condition, length of working per day, and etc. were protected by the legislation.In brief, the Minimum Wage Legislation, promulgated by the British government in the20th century, was favorable for the perfection of British social system and national economic development. However, on the issue of labor’s wage, the government adopted collective negotiation and collective bargaining as two main principles, encouraged both labor and management sides to bargaining about the wage and welfares, and insisted that the governmental measures should play an ancillary role. On one hand, these principles ensured the both sides communicate on a relatively equal level, on the other hand, it limited the functions of national policy. On some level, the Minimum Wage Legislation set a basic tone for the future governments’constant explorations on the labor’s wage ground. |
