Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - V. Social Movements - 1. Labour Questions and Social politics - Legislation for the Protection of Workers. (Factory Laws etc.). By M. Marcus and J. A. E. Molin
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v. social movements.
drainage, or other suchlike special enterprises in which workers are
employed in the said manner. From the provisions of the Act are, however, exempted
(a) work performed in the worker’s home, or otherwise under such conditions
that it cannot be deemed to be incumbent on the employer to supervise the
arrangement of the work, (b) work performed by a member of the employer’s
family, and (c), work performed by sailors and which comes under the head of
service on board ship. Moreover with regard to work in agriculture, the
important limitation is made that the Act shall apply only in so far as it aims at
preventing accidents in the use of machinery or certain other dangerous
implements.
The above provision as to the range of application of the Act is supplemented
by an enactment as to the legal signification of the terms "worker" (arbetare)
and "employer" (arbetsgivare), from which it is evident that "workers" under
the Act is not to be construed as signifying merely manual labourers, and those
of the same social position, but anyone who performs work for the account of
another, and who cannot be deemed to be independent in relation to the latter.
Protection against risk of injury arising from work. This section of the
Act contains firstly a general, fundamental provision rendering it incumbent on
employers to observe all precautions that, with regard to working premises,
machinery, and tools, and otherwise, may be deemed to be necessary to protect
the workpeople in their employ against accidents and injury to health during
work. This provision is then developed further in two series of protective
regulations, one for the prevention of accidents incurred during work, the other
for the prevention of injury to health in consequence of the work. As the
protective regulations referred to are by no means exhaustive, Government is
finally empowered to issue the special regulations that may be found necessary
with regard to a particular kind of employment or to the use of a certain kind
of machine, tool, or working premise.
Employment of Minors. "Minors" is to be construed under the Act to
mean persons under 18 years of age. In order to be eligible for employment
in labour a minor must as a general rule (1) have passed through the course of
instruction prescribed for the elementary schools, (2) have attained a certain
age, which in general is 12, but with regard to work in large industry1 is
fixed at 13 for boys, and 14 for girls. By way of a general, fundamental
principle for the employment of minors, it is enacted that employers shall not
employ a minor in such a manner that the employment of the minor may be
deemed to be attended by danger of accident or of overwork, or other
detrimental effect on the minor’s health or physical development, or so as to be injurious
to the minor’s morals. Without being limited to any particular kind of work, it
is further enacted that minors shall be afforded sufficient leasure to enable
them to participate in a course of religious instruction, or a course in a trade
school, or an extension class entirely or partially defrayed by the State.
With regard to the employment of minors in special kinds of
occupation, certain restrictions are made. Thus it is prohibited to employ minors
under 15 years of age for work under ground in quarries or mines. For minors
employed in the carrying of goods, messages or errands, or in trade, an
uninterrupted free time at night of at least 11 hours is prescribed. As to
minors employed in industry, the daily hours of labour shall not exceed 6 hours
for minors under 13, 8 hours for minors of 13, and 8 hours for minors
that have attained the age of 14. If a minor that has not yet attained the age
1 By ’"large industry" is understood to mean industrial work conducted on such a scale
that at least 10 workers, or a driving power of at least 5 efficient horse power, or else at
least five workers as well as a driving power of at least 3 efficient horse power, are
employed regularly at one place to carry on the work.
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