Working conditions in the Bryant & May match factory, in the East End of London, were terrible for the approximately 1400 women and girls who worked there in the 1880s. The fourteen-hour shifts were paid at a low rate which was subject to fines for talking or even taking a toilet break. This pitiful remuneration was compromised even further by the company's use of white phosphorus in their matches. This cheap form caused what was known as 'phossy jaw', a bone cancer resulting from contact with the chemical. By contrast, the owners of the factory were making huge dividends of 22% per year.
Radical journalist Annie Besant, who had recently set up her newspaper, The Link, wrote an article about the conditions at the factory, …
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Bryant & May Match Girls’s Strike". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 August 2013 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1774, accessed 23 November 2024.]
