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 claid 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 ti 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 ntion 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, ca up with the stupidest ideas!"
The highly respected Veris said, "Well, gentlen, since we are all in agreent about this situation, it's ti 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 ca 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 governnt is under control of the nobility. Even many of us here have probably used our influence to lobby the governnt. 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 governnt, how can our complaint make a difference?
Why did the nobles propose the Labor Protection Act? Is it really because of the overwhelming rcy 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 ca 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 governnt 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 ans is that we should continue to do what we are doing?" Trios asked uncertainly.
Veris was afla 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 so of them, and let them speak for us, to kill so of them, and bla it on the secret police? And it is not our first ti doing that."
When it ca to manipulating public opinion, it did not matter if they used dirty tricks or above-board thods. Even if the governnt made so 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 so ways, they were weak, but when it ca 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 docunts in his hands, Franz did not even bother to comnt. 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 sche invented by the governnt.
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 ssage 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 enactnt 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 governnt, could not enact a law after months of work--work that was for naught because of the influence of the capitalist class.
Ti 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 implent an eight-hour working day. Workers can choose to work overti or not, at will (employers must not cut wages because of this, and must pay overti wages);
2. Local governnts must set minimum wage standards in the near future. Any factory operating in Austria must implent those standards in accordance with regulations;
3. Austria will implent regulations on industrial injury protection, with specific details to be introduced by the governnt in the near future;
4. It will be prohibited to deduct or default wages without reason. Any offender will pay compensation more than ten tis the amount withheld, along with a fine, decided according to the severity of the circumstances by the industrial and comrcial authorities.
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