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Conditions: What it's Like Where we Work

Hours: How Many Hours I Work Each Week

2000s

"Well since we are on our first year, we will normally do eight till four, Monday to Friday. Well the original clocking machines are still there but obviously they are redundant now. You can still hear it clicking every so often, every minute..."


 

1950s

"48 hours then. You had to work Saturday morning, five days and Saturday morning. You’d make up to 48 hours we'd work an extra hour on a Wednesday night. We used to work until six on a Wednesday night."

Clocking on machine from the 1950s showing a metal box with an analogue clockface on the front.
Clocking on Machine From the 1950s

 

Victorian Times

"I spoke to a number of workers about the hours worked. In the iron and steel works the hours are moderate, being 60 hours a week. A period of 12 hours less stoppages is the established rule each day but there are often no regular hours sometimes working from six in the morning until nine at night and on Fridays until 9.30 to finish for Saturday but not working much at the beginning of the week, maybe only half a day on Monday according to the work."

Victorian pocket watch.  It has a metal surround with a white face with Roman numerals
Victorian Pocket Watch

 

Questions

  • In which time period did they work the most hours in a week?
  • How have the days of work changed?
  • How many hours do you think is a fair amount to work and why?