Question

Labour or work relationships have existed since the first individual approached another to perform a task against the promise of payment. Therefore, the employment relationships should be placed in the context of one of the most important occurrences in economic history, the industrial revolution. In view of the statement, critically assess the convulsion of the Industrial Revolution which commenced in the fourteenth century and resulted into the emergence of the working class. In your discussion provide a detailed analysis of the employment relationship to the parties involved in the early years of the Industrial Revolution

Answer 1

The Industrial Revolution led to the emergence of the working class and major changes in the employment relationship. Workers faced challenges and inequalities while owners amassed wealth. Early labor unions formed to address working conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Industrial Revolution, which began in the fourteenth century, was a period of major economic, technological, and social changes. It marked the shift from an agrarian society to an industrial one, characterized by the use of power-driven machinery in factories. The emergence of the working class was a significant outcome of the Industrial Revolution.

During this period, the employment relationship underwent significant transformations. Workers, who were predominantly from the working class, exchanged their labor for fixed wages. However, they faced numerous challenges and inequalities. They had to work long hours in unsafe conditions, with limited workers' rights and protections. The owners of the factories, on the other hand, gained vast fortunes and had control over wages and working conditions.

Early labor unions emerged as collective efforts by workers to address their grievances and improve their working conditions. Some examples include the Luddites in England, who protested against the introduction of machinery that threatened their livelihoods, and the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association in the United States, which advocated for improved working conditions for women in factories.