the process of industrialisation brought miseries to the newly emerged class of industrial workers .. explain
Answers
(i) More workers than the demand : There was an abundance of workers in the market than the demand This had an adverse impact on the lives of the workers. Due to the shortage of work, most of the workers failed to get jobs So they offered their services at lower wages.
(ii) Seasonality of work : Seasonality of work any industries meant prolonged periods without work. After the busy season was over, the poor were on the streets again. Some returned to the countryside after the winter, when the demand for labour in the rural areas opened up in places. But most looked for odd jobs, which till the mid-nineteenth century were difficult to find.
(iii) Low real wages : Though the wages increased somewhat in the early 19th century, but the increase was nullified by increase in prices. During the Napoleonic ware, the red wages fell significantly.
(iv) Poverty and unemployment : At the best of times, till the mid-nineteenth century, about 10 per cent of the urban population was extremely poor The unemployment rate was also very high.
(v) Housing problem : Factory or workshop owners did not house live migrant workers. Many job seekers had to wait weeks, spending nights under bridges or night in shelters.
Explanation:
There was abundace of labour in the market of Britain during nineteenth century compared to the work available. Which led to the problem of unemployment:
1. Seasonality of work: Most of the workers were employed in a fixed or particular season only. This resulted in unemployment for most of the time of the year.
2. Low real wages: High supply of labour resulted in low wages and workers were easily replaced if any wage issue was created.
3. Poverty: As wages were low, most of the workers lived in harsh conditions of extreme poverty. They did not have enough money to feed their entire families at times.
4. Housing problem: As the number of workers kept on increasing in the cities, mostly without work, had a problem in finding healthy and hygienic conditions. Most of them lived on roads, under the bridges or in the unclean by lanes.
