Matchgirls Strike Committee and Annie Besant
As they say history repeats itself. And today my trade union history talk was on Annie Besant and the matchgirls strike. What was so spectacular about this strike was that it was led by women, around 200 working class young women marched to Annie Besant’s office. They had walked out after Bryant and May had sacked 3 of the workers for daring to speak about the appalling working conditions and the fines they had to pay (examples include; having dirty feet, not asking permission to go to the toilet, leaving scraps of food by their workbench). Because of the 3 workers talking to Besant, Bryant and May demanded that the workers sign a declaration saying that the employers were equitable and fair!! Hence the walkout by the women.
The working conditions at Bryant and May to say were horrific would be an understatement. I remember learning about ‘Phossy jaw’ in my history class at school and the ensuing strike. What struck me then and still does now was the utter bravery of these young women, as a teenager back then I really admired those women and Annie Besant.
Phossy jaw was cancer of the jaw. It was due to the exposure to yellow phosphorus. There was no safeguards or protection. Women also ingested this poison as they ate at their work benches. It was such a vile occupational disease to suffer and to die from. These women earned a pittance for sweat labour to die in agony.
William Gladstone was a relative and Bryant and May. The statue of Gladstone in Bow was paid for by deducting wages of the workers. When the statue was unveiled, workers pelted it with rotten veg and fruit, some even dripped their own blood on it as they believed they had paid for this damn statue with their blood!
The reason why women were fined was because Bryant and May believed that this would inspire good morals and discipline. So paying these women a pittance, fining them, appalling pay and condition and exposure to a horrific poison was a way of character building…..!
And so these women marched to Annie Besant who had written the article, ‘White Slavery in London‘, documenting the shocking pay and conditions. They got tremendous support, the local trades council agreed to admit them, it meant the creation and recognition of unskiller workers’ unions, it also meant the rise of new unionism and overall it showed the raised consciousness of militant young working class women.
They were on strike for 3 weeks, Bryant and May eventually capitulated but yellow phosphorus was not outlawed until 1901!
Listening to the talk reminded me of occupational illnesses now, such as asbestosis due to exposure to asbestos. And the companies that developed asbestos knew that it caused cancer but like any capitalist company making a quick profit due to suffering and death…. hushed it up!
And this also reminded me of Workers’ Memorial Day, a day to remember the dead and fight for the living. That we still have to campaign and fight for health and safety, along with pay and conditions globally. The Matchgirls Strike was an important part of trade union history and we have to continue those struggles in the 21st century.
Workers’ Memorial Day is happening on the 28th April.
