The sweating crusade, 1892

The sweating crusade, 1892

The working conditions of women workers in clothing factories in Dunedin and other centres attracted criticism in the late 1880s and early 1890s, when employers wanted to cut costs because business was slow. The Tailoresses’ Union was set up in response. This cartoon shows union secretary Harriet Morison crusading against ‘sweating’ – work in poor conditions with low pay.