In other words, they might go to the devil and starve—Hobson's choice!—for all the other factories were owned by men who offered no better terms.
no choice at all, choice in which there is only one option (named after Thomas Hobson who had a stable full of horses for hire but let his guests choose only the one nearest the door)
a situation in which there is only one thing you can do, so you do not really have any choice at all (Probably from Thomas Hobson (1554-1631), who rented out horses and would only let his customers take the horse nearest the door)