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Part VIII of the Act
Outworkers
The law in relation to outworkers is contained in the Factories Act, 1937,
Sections 110 and 111.
Section 110 requires the occupier of every factory and every contractor
employed by him to send to the Borough Council during the months of February
and August in each year, lists showing the names and addresses of all outworkers
employed by him outside the factory, and the places where they are employed.
Failure to comply with this requirement renders the occupier liable to a fine
not exceeding £10. The Council is required to forward the name and address of
any outworker in this list whose address is not in St. Pancras to the local
authority concerned.
Section 111 applies to premises where work is carried on which, in the
Council's opinion is injurious or dangerous to the health of the persons employed
therein, and in such cases the Council is empowered to give notice of the circumstances,
in writing, to the occupier of the factory. If, after the expiration of
ten days, the occupier continues to give out work to those premises, he is guilty
of an offence.
A Schedule to the Act states that if the occupier of a factory knowingly
allows a woman or girl to be employed therein within four weeks after she has
given birth to a child, he shall be liable to a fine.
If the occupier of a factory or his contractor allows wearing apparel to be
made, cleaned or repaired in any place where an inmate is suffering from scarlet
fever or smallpox, and cannot prove that he was unaware of the existance of the
disease, he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10. The Council has power
to forbid work being given out to premises where an inmate is suffering from an
infectious disease, and an occupier or contractor upon whom such an order has
been served shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10 if he contravenes such
order.
During 1958 no less than 852 people were on the register, employed in the
following trades-
Wearing apparel 541
Household linen 17
Lace, lace curtains and nets 3
Curtains and furniture hangings 21
Furniture and upholstery 16
Fur pulling 11
Artificial flowers 31
The making of boxes or other receptacles or
parts thereof made wholly or partially of paper 40
Brush making 7
Feather sorting 28
Carding of buttons 15
Toy making 18
Basket making 21
Cosaques, Christmas crackers, Christmas stockings, etc. 51
Lampshades 32
42