Firstly, by restricting the supply of labour in their respective trades they raised its market price, i.e.wages.Secondly, they could extract better conditions from employers, by obliging the latter to deal with them as a single large body instead of dealing with them as a number of individuals.

How far can women-workers effect these same ends by these same means?
Trade Unionism, so far as women are concerned, is yet in its infancy.

In 1874, Mrs.Paterson established a society, now named the Women's Trades Union Provident League, to try and establish combination among women in their several trades.

The first Union was that of women engaged in book- binding, formed in September 1874.

Since then a considerable number of Unions have been formed among match-makers, dressmakers, milliners, mantle-makers, upholstresses, rope-makers, confectioners, box-makers, shirt-makers, umbrella-makers, brush-makers and others.