Legal limitations on the length of the working day had initially covered only children’s hours of employment in specific industries, but, gradually, as the century progressed, new groups of workers were to be included. By 1850, the average working week was around 60–65 hours, then, in the 1870s, factory owner after factory owner agreed to cut hours. Unions and other labour organizations had long been arguing for a ten-hour day but, in the early 1870s, full employment strengthened their bargaining power and the 54–6-hour week became standard across a range of different industries.
