The hard life of the proletariat in the mid-19th century is best illustrated through the book of Friedrich Engels The Conditions of the Working Class in England. At that time, i.e. before the workers' movements, the exploitation of workers was a daily occurrence. Working conditions were often dangerous to health, the working day lasted 12 hours or more, children were an integral part of the work collective, and workers lived in severe poverty due to underpayment. Indications of possible changes for the better appeared with the founding of the First International, and a complete reversal occurred thanks to the Second International. The Second International was founded in Paris in 1889 under the leadership of Jules Guesde and Paul Lafargue and existed until 1916. Its task was to continue the work of the First International, i.e. the International Workers' Association. Karl Marx did not welcome the founding of the Second International, but his ideas were very much present in its work. Friedrich Engels, a close friend and collaborator of Marx, was an active member of the Second International and an adviser to the new generation of socialists whose primary goal was the fight for workers' rights. What the members of the Second International demanded were better and safer working conditions, higher wages, equal pay for men and women, eight-hour working day, and the exclusion of children from the working world. They believed that workers must unite internationally, arguing that this was the only way they could get what they deserved. All workers' rights that exist today and are defined by law are a direct result of the struggle and perseverance of the members of the Second International. Although working conditions have significantly improved thanks to the Second International, they are still not ideal. Labor laws protect workers to some extent but are often vague and prone to interpretation. Also, there are a large number of workers who, due to their specific employment status, cannot rely on labor law or, for example, join trade unions. What is perhaps most difficult to accept is the fact that in some parts of the world workers still live very similar lives as the English proletarians in Engels’ book. As long as there is injustice in the working world and as long as profit is more important than human life, the goal of the Second International will not be met. That is why it is extremely important that the fight continues. Ultimately, workers' rights are not a privilege but a necessity and as such must be fully realized.