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The 1898 suppression of white phosphorous in the French match industry was a victory of organized labour. At a time when most French workers did not have the power to effect changes in the health and safety conditions of their work, the match workers succeeded. At a time when most French women were not unionised and did not pursue effective action on occupational health problems, French women in the match industry succeeded. This book, first published in 1989, examines their actions and provides the definitive account of their success.
List of contents
1. Occupational Health and the State in Nineteenth Century France 2. The History of the Match Industry, of Phossy-Jaw and Efforts to Combat It Until 1890 3. Demography: A Profile of the Match Workers 4. The Union Struggle 1888-1895: Four Strikes 5. The Union Struggle 1896-1898: Continuing the Fight By Other Means 6. The Limits of the Medical Profession 7. Women and the Working Class in Public Opinion: The Maternity Question 8. Women’s Participation in Labor Unions: The Case of the Match Workers 9. The French State and the Match Workers: General and Concrete Considerations
About the author
Bonnie Gordon
Summary
At a time when most French women were not unionised and did not pursue effective action on occupational health problems, French women in the match industry succeeded. This book, first published in 1989, examines their actions and provides the definitive account of their success.
