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Children at work: Activities Match girls' strike The activities in this topic involve drama and persuasive writing. They require the students to read original newspaper articles about the strike and work out whether it was fair to strike or not. This topic will encourage students to debate and think clearly about their own situation. They should develop listening skills, debating skills, empathy, knowledge about the events and improve the structure of their writing.
There were many strikes during the Victorian period that had an effect on the Trade Union movement. One of the most important was a strike by match girls in an east London factory. This strike got national press coverage.
Besant also discovered that the women's health was damaged by the phosphorous in the matches. Their skin became yellow, their hair fell out and some got cancer of the jaw and died.
The sacked women formed a union called The Matchgirls' Union and were able to persuade the company through union negotiations, strike action and some violence to reinstate the dismissed women and abolish the system of fines. Most of the press supported the women. However, "The Times" newspaper voiced the opinion of those who thought that the women were lazy and did not want to work.
Introduction activity to the work Read with the class the extracts from the press article in "The Link" in 1888 and from "The Pall Mall Gazette" July 9, 1888. Tell the students the basic story and then ask them to imagine that they are one of the workers dismissed because they would not sign an agreement with the factory owners. Ask them to brainstorm how they would feel if it happened to one of their family or even to them. As a class, discuss if it was fair for the employers to sack the women.
Divide the class into four groups, name them groups A, B, C and D. Group A should have five people. They will be managers of the Bryant & May match factory. Group B should have about seven people in it. They will be the workers who went back before the strike had officially finished and decided not to continue to strike. Group C should have fifteen people. They will be the workers who have taken strike action. Group D should have the rest of the class not more than four. They are the trade union representatives who prefer to discuss ideas and want an outcome where everyone is happy. They don't want violence. Using role-play, tell the children that there will be a public meeting held by the management to discuss the terms and conditions of the strike. The children in their groups must discuss what they will say, who will say it and how they will be feeling and reacting to each other. Take one or two lessons to prepare for the meeting. >> Lesson two or three For this lesson arrange the furniture in the classroom so that it is like a public meeting place. Chair the sessions and explain that the purpose of the meeting is to find out how everyone is feeling. After a while, change roles with one of the children so that they have a chance to chair. At the end of the lesson review with the children how the meeting went, what feelings people had and what the workers wanted. Discuss whether any of them felt that shouting was a good way of getting what they wanted or was reasoned argument more appropriate. Ask them how they think the real situation at the Bryant and May factory was resolved.
Compare the tone of "The Times" article and "The Pall Mall Gazette" article. Discuss the differing views.
In groups of two or three ask the children to brainstorm how their character from last weeks lesson felt and what they would like to happen. For example, if they were a worker who was on strike, they may want better pay and no fines. If they were a manager they would want the workers to stop the strike and if they were still working for Bryant & May, they would want the girls accept the situation before they were sacked for good. In their groups ask the pupils to draft a letter to one of the other groups to try and persuade them to change their minds. They could use the writing frame supplied here to help structure their ideas. Click here to download the writing frame in Microsoft Word format.
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Background
information 
In
June of 1888 a woman named Annie Besant wrote an article for "The
Link" newspaper about the health and working conditions of the workers
at Bryant & May match factory in the East End of London. She discovered,
after interviewing some of the workers, that match girls worked on average
fourteen hours a day for less than five shillings a week. However, many
of the young women did not receive their full pay due to the endorsement
of fines. A girl would be fined for damaging matches, talking or leaving
her post without permission. The fines could be from three pence to one
shilling. Women were also fined for lateness. In the summer months they
had to work from 6.30am and finish at 6pm. If they were at all late, they
would lose half a day's pay.
As
a result of this article, Bryant & May tried to get their workers
to sign an agreement stating that they were happy with their working conditions.
Some women refused and so they were dismissed.
