Result of Competition Among Workers

When hundreds of workers compete for a handful of factory jobs, the balance of power shifts entirely to the employers (capitalists/factory owners). The results are:

1. Drastic Fall in Wages: Employers know that if one worker refuses a low salary, ten others are desperately waiting outside to take the job. Therefore, wages drop to bare survival levels.
2. Deterioration of Working Conditions: Employers do not spend money on safety, ventilation, or breaks, knowing workers are too desperate to quit.
3. Increased Working Hours: Workers are forced to work 12 to 16-hour shifts just to earn enough to feed their families.
4. Exploitation of Vulnerable Groups: Employers prefer hiring women and children, as they can be paid even less than adult men and are easier to control.

During the Industrial Revolution in 19th-century Britain, mass migration from villages to cities created immense competition among workers. This led to horrific slums, poverty, and disease. It was this exact exploitation that eventually gave rise to Trade Unions, Labour Laws, and Socialist movements (like those of Karl Marx) to protect workers' rights.