The Scottish Council for Women's Trades was an organisation in the early 1900s that campaigned for improvements in the working conditions of women. The organisation was originally formed in 1894 as the Glasgow Council for Women's Trades. After two investigations were conducted by Margaret Irwin into the workplace conditions for female

shop assistants Shop Assistants were a Scottish indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 1984, initially as 'Buba & The Shop Assistants'.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 502 After achieving success with indepe ...

, finding that women were being expected to work 12–17 hours per day, and being forbidden from sitting down while at work, the Glasgow Council for Women's Trades drafted a

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

that would require employers to make

suitable seating The right to sit refers to laws or policies granting workers the right to be granted suitable seating at the workplace. Jurisdictions that have enshrined "right to sit" laws or policies include the United Kingdom, Jamaica, South Africa, Eswatini, ...

available to their staff. The first attempt to get the bill through the

UK Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...

failed, but an immediate second attempt succeeded and the requirement for employers to provide one seat for every three shop employees became law on 1 January 1900 as the Seats for Shop Assistants Act 1899. Margaret Irwin died in 1940; the council had been "wound up" in 1939.

Publications

* 1897 Margaret Irwin. Home Work Among Women. Report of an Enquiry conducted by the Scottish Council for Women's Trades. * 1900 Margaret Irwin. Women's Work in Tailoring and Dressmaking. Report of an Enquiry conducted by the Scottish Council for Women's Trades. * 1910 Margaret Irwin. Home Work In Ireland. Scottish Council for Women's Trades.

References

{{reflist 1894 establishments in the United Kingdom Feminist organisations in Scotland Organizations established in 1894 Social history of the United Kingdom Working conditions Working-class feminism Clubs and societies in Glasgow