you're the one who doesn't understand how quantitative change produces qualitative change. that is not possible in bourgeois "democracy" because you're never allowed enough quantitative change to produce qualitative change. even in the case you mention about the 8hs work shift, that is no longer the case in a lot of countries or for a lot of people even in the first world. the law might not have changed that the shift can't be much more than 8hs, but you can have 2 jobs, you can do extra hours and no option to deny them. and in some countries you actually don't have an 8 hours shift. so no, those laws don't secure anything and they are no guarantee this will remain true in the foreseable future. in most cases what it takes is 1 (one, ONE!!!) term from the "left to fascism party" and that can be reversed. i understand you're asking in good faith, but i find it bizarre that you trust so blindly the political ideology of a class that isn't yours, robs and abuses you.

All of the little bits of change that have happened have been secondary to the actual evolution of capitalism. We cannot fix capitalism.