Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 17: Labor Protection Act

The nobles were on the move, while the capitalists were certainly not standing idle. Many of the capitalists struggled to adapt to their changing roles because for too long, they had claimed to be reformists.

A banquet was being held in a manor in Vienna. Most of the guests were Austrian capitalists, as well as a number of experts and scholars.

"Mr. Veris, public opinion is against us. Many are criticizing us for putting profit first. If we do not take action, the conspiracy of our enemies, who are behind the campaign against us, will succeed!"

"Yes! Their reforms are much easier said than done. They just do not take the current situation into consideration. For the time being, because of the fierce competition, our profit margins are just so slim!"

"That is the truth. We make money today and lose money tomorrow because the profit is so low, and the market is ever-changing. It is already difficult for us to feed the workers, not to mention that we have to constantly work to increase production.

How can we arrange, on such a slender profit margin, to raise their pay? If this Labor Protection Act makes us give up all our benefits to the workers, we will just be working for nothing.

Who would be foolish enough to invest in the industry then? These nobles, making money by doing nothing every day, came up with the stupidest ideas!"

The highly respected Veris said, "Well, gentlemen, since we are all in agreement about this situation, it's time for us to unite and show the enemies our real power!

The Labor Protection Act cannot possibly be passed. If they succeed once, they'll try again, and if we make heavy concessions on this matter, the enemy will press on little by little.

The nobles want to wipe us out. They do not have the courage to do it directly, so they came up with this lousy idea.

It is true that the Labor Protection Act now requires us to take a small step back. However, even once their ambition is satisfied, they will keep encouraging workers to rise up against us.

To make their status unshakable, they will finally use the high cost of labor to push us into decline!"

"Mr. Veris, what do we do now? You know the government is under control of the nobility. Even many of us here have probably used our influence to lobby the government. The situation is not optimistic for us."

Veris said with a cold smile, "Mr. Trios, you are right. Since the nobles have control of the government, how can our complaint make a difference?

Why did the nobles propose the Labor Protection Act? Is it really because of the overwhelming mercy in their hearts? If that's the case, why don't they liberate the serfs?"

It was a good question. Why did the nobles suddenly care about others?

They quickly came up with a number of possible answers to that question, for it was simple to all these cunning old foxes.

For example: to divert the public's attention from government reform to the welfare of workers, or to get back at the capitalists because they were against the abolition of serfdom...

"So, what Mr. Veris means is that we should continue to do what we are doing?" Trios asked uncertainly.

Veris was aflame with indignation. "Yes, we cannot be played by opponents. The primary purpose of the Labor Protection Act is to make us make concessions.

But can we make concessions?

Behind us is the abyss!

Now, the most important thing for us is to expose the enemy's dangerous ambitions and draw more people over to our side, so we can win the ultimate triumph!"

"However, Mr. Veris, the enemy suddenly hit us unprepared, and now public opinion is very unfavorable to us, so many who were neutral have chosen to take their side!" complained Ham, frowning.

Veris's face dropped, for he knew that his leadership was not convincing to his followers, including Ham. His words looked straightforward, but danger lurked beneath the surface.

"Mr. Ham, I don't think this is really a problem for any of us. Is it too difficult to convince them?

To buy off some of them, and let them speak for us, to kill some of them, and blame it on the secret police? And it is not our first time doing that."

When it came to manipulating public opinion, it did not matter if they used dirty tricks or above-board methods. Even if the government made some concessions, the capitalists could not possibly give up the interests they already had in hand, for which they had struggled so long.

They just wanted to gain without pain, which was the nature of capitalists. Maybe, in some ways, they were weak, but when it came to their own interests, they could show their full fighting weight.

Since Veris laid things out straightforwardly, there was no need for anyone to remain a gentleman, and the whole of Austria would see who the capitalists really were.

...

The capitalists were powerful. At least, they were much more powerful than the nobles in the court of public opinion. If it had not been for the censors, they would have already turned the tide in their favor.

After reading the intelligence documents in his hands, Franz did not even bother to comment. The performance of the conservative nobles, in this wave of battles, was really pathetic.

The first group that was fooled by capitalists was students, and the University of Vienna was the first to be captured. Many people there thought the Labor Protection Act was a scheme invented by the government.

Franz did not really know what this group really thought, but he knew for sure that many of them had been bought off by capitalists.

"Taylor, give Archduke Louis a message letting him know the plot of the capitalists, so he can pass the Labor Protection Act as soon as possible!" said Franz.

The best way for them to achieve their goal was to create a fait accompli before the capitalists could fight back.

Franz did not trouble himself by participating in the enactment of the Labor Protection Act. The nobles would definitely want revenge, so the items of this Act would be very unfavorable to the capitalists.

Regarding the relations between the intelligence organization and the nobles, Franz could not care less. He had to admit that he had overrated the rotten nobility.

The nobility, even though they had control of the government, could not enact a law after months of work--work that was for naught because of the influence of the capitalist class.

Time flew by. After months of controversy and rivalry, on November 21, 1847, history finally turned a new page, and the first Labor Protection Act of the Austrian Empire was published.

The Labor Protection Act read:

1. From March 1, 1848, Austria will implement an eight-hour working day. Workers can choose to work overtime or not, at will (employers must not cut wages because of this, and must pay overtime wages);

2. Local governments must set minimum wage standards in the near future. Any factory operating in Austria must implement those standards in accordance with regulations;

3. Austria will implement regulations on industrial injury protection, with specific details to be introduced by the government in the near future;

4. It will be prohibited to deduct or default wages without reason. Any offender will pay compensation more than ten times the amount withheld, along with a fine, decided according to the severity of the circumstances by the industrial and commercial authorities.