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Trade Unions - Working and Living Conditions for unskilled workers in…
Trade Unions - Working and Living Conditions for unskilled workers in Ireland
general
1911 1/2 of the workers in Ireland were employed in agriculture, 1/4 in manufacturing jobs and 1/10 as domestic servants
Only industry concentrated in North East
Ulsters had a strong tradition of domestic linen weaving based around industrialisation
Late 19th century area around Belfast called 'linen triangle' with a lot of investment
By 1900 over 16,000 Ulster workers employed in the linen industry
Dublin was the home of the civil service represented by the city's manufacturing industry seen the businesses like Jacob's Biscuits, Jameson's Whiskey and Guinness's Stout
Working Conditions
unskilled workers like bricklayers, dockers and factory workers faced harsh working and living conditions
unskilled labourers mostly employed in Dublin and Belfast
Industries in Dublin and Belfast involved textiles, food processing brewing (Guinness used 80% unskilled labour) and shipbuilding
In Dublin average pay for unskilled labour was 10 shillings and 9 pence a week but 22 shillings required in family to maintain basic standard of living
Dockers working 75 hours a week paid 14 shillings
Casual labourers were employed on a day to day basis and made up 7,000 of Dublin's 30,000 unskilled labourers
People were hired and fired often so unemployment rates were sometimes as high as 20% and there was no trade unions to protect them
The linen industry
required low skills and had low pay
had 70% female workforce and large amounts of child labour
By 1900 over 60,000 linen workers employed
Tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis and skin disease spread easily and mills thick with 'flax dust'
workers couldn't talk, laugh, sing or adjust their hair or they were fined
required to work days before work and return a month after
Women working
poor families depended on women working
In 1900 women had to work around 90 hours a week for 6-7 shillings
worked in textiles or food processing
A woman in Belfast was earning 1 shilling and 3 pence for 14 hours of sewing buttons onto shirts
Living Conditions
26,000 families in Dublin were living in 5,000 decayed tenements and 20,000 of these families lived in 1 room
1,500 of these tenements were deemed unfit for human habitation
Population of Belfast and Dublin had been growing rapidly due to industrialisation (Population in Dublin doubled in less than 100 years)
Belfast had a population increase of 40% between 1891 to 1901
Increase in population put a strain on Ulster leading to slums developing quickly
Wealthy in Dubin
Moved into areas like Blackrock and Rathmines in Dublin
Lives were built around golf and tennis clubs with sailing being a popular past times
Houses were run with the help of servants
Trams, horses and bicycles dominated transport but the motor car was growing importance
Former and less fashionable homes on the north side became home to the city's poorest
Number 7 Henrietta Street was once home to wealthy lawyers but now 104 people shared this house
1914 33% of families in Dublin lived in one room and 14% of these were unfit for human habitiation
2nd September 1913 7 people were killed when 2 tenements houses on Church street collapsed
Disease
Caused bu shared outdoor toilets, communal water taps and livestock being kept on side-lanes
Tuberculosis (airborne) and typhoid fever were very common alongside seasonal influenza
1912 TB related deaths 50% higher in Ireland than elsewhere in the UK
Typhoid caused by Salmonella through contaminated water or food
Whooping cough common in infants which led to pnewmonia
Measles also common in childhood and fatal when accompanied with bronchitis, pneumonia or encephalitis
1900 Dublin had highest infant mortality in the UK with life expectancy being only 49 years for men
Diet
Potatoes were diet staple
Cabbage was often boiled , steamed or used in soups
Offal included liver, kidneys and pigs cheek as it was cheap
Malnutrition was a serious issue
Beer and Guinness was consumed heavily as a safer alternative to contaminated water