Hardie revealed Overtoun’s other side in his treatment of workers at his chemical works. They toiled 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Deadly fumes were liable to poison their lungs. All this for low wages and no sick pay.
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How Keir Hardie kept the faith
In 1899 in Glasgow, Keir Hardie, arguably the main founder of the Labour Party, launched a furious attack on Lord Overtoun in a pamphlet called White Slaves.Overtoun was a rich factory owner, a donor to charities and an evangelical Christian who criticised the local authority for allowing trams to run on Sundays.
