Well, we've partially answered our own question. The friend we spoke of is temporarily indisposed so she can't help us but we also found a recording of Frankie Armstrong singing this song in 1976. Here are the lyrics as best we could understand them.

NINE HOURS A DAY

Chorus:

So help all the women, boys, they're the pride of our land we all say,
And why should the women work more than nine hours a day?                

1.All through this good old land of ours, commotion there has been
And in the poor man's working hours great changes there have been
But while they struggle for their rights and to improve their lot,
Us poor white slaves are left at home neglected and forgot.

2."What can the women have to do?", the men will often say
They only have to cook and stew and pleasant pass the day
But let a man just take her place when baby starts to roar
They'd find themselves in such a mess they'd never ask no more.

3.He'd first the children have to dress, and breakfast get you no' (?)
There's Tommy standing on his head while Jack upsets the po' (?)
There's Sally at the water with firewood setting style (?)
And Toby making such a row by twisting pussy's tail.

4.At one o'clock the hooter goes, the men come home to dine
And if that it's not ready quite then look out for a shine
At five o'clock he's home from work and your work's scarce begun
While you're there slaving like a Turk he's twiddling of his thumbs        

5.You factory girls of England now, what get such little pay,
The roses from your blooming cheeks hard work has driven away.
Oft times to serve your masters you're working past the time
But if you're late he'll shut the gate and you must pay a fine.

6.So women all take my advice, when courting your young man
And tell him when the knot is tied that this will be your plan
Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep and then eight hours for play
And Sundays must be all your own and nightwork double pay

Can anyone help us with the third verse?

Before singing the song, Frankie says that this is street song from London in the 1880s from the period when women were beginning to agitate, particularly around London for shorter hours and higher wages. Perhaps from the matchgirl strike.

Bev and Jerry