Britain- D5- Trades Union Militancy, 1915-1927 Flashcards
1
Q
How much of the globe’s land had Britain controlled pre-WW1?
A
1/3
2
Q
What was Britain’s wealth mainly derived from pre-WW1?
A
Heavy industry, built on iron production and coal mining
3
Q
How many British people were killed in WW1?
A
820,000+
4
Q
What did the increased demands for labour during the war allow workers to do?
A
Campaign for improvements
5
Q
How much of the nation’s workforce did working-class labourers make up?
A
70%
6
Q
How did membership of the trade unions change between 1913-19?
A
4,189,000 members to 8,081,000 members
7
Q
Why was the nationalisation of industry a positive for the trade unions?
A
Brought them into direct contact with the government and allowed for direct negotiations
8
Q
How many men were there in Britain at the beginning of WW1?
A
15 million
9
Q
How many men were recruited for combat in WW1 to the army, navy and air force?
A
4,970,000 for army; 407,000 for navy; 293,000 for air force
10
Q
What was industrial production like in July 1915? (3 stats for iron, steel and shipbuilding)
A
Mining production had fallen 21.8%; iron and steel production was down 18.8%; shipbuilding fell 16.5%
11
Q
By when were coal miners demanding a what % rise in wages to meet growing living expenses?
A
Demanded a 20% rise in wages by March 1915
12
Q
Who were the 2 men at the forefront of efforts to unite union militancy pre-WW1?
A
Ernest Bevin; James Henry Thomas
13
Q
When did Bevin become a trade union official for the Docker’s Union?
A
1911
14
Q
When was the NTWF formed?
A
1910
15
Q
When was Bevin elected to the executive committee of the NTWF?
A
1916
16
Q
What does NTWF stand for?
A
National Transport Workers’ Federation
17
Q
Which constituency was Bevin defeated in as the parliamentary candidate for and when?
A
1918, Central Bristol
18
Q
What was Bevin pivotal in during the war?
A
Forming NTWF policy
19
Q
Who was responsible for the NUR and instrumental in its formation?
A
James Henry Thomas
20
Q
What does NUR stand for?
A
National Union of Railwaymen
21
Q
What had Thomas originally worked for after growing up in poverty?
A
Great Western Railway (GWR)
22
Q
What did Thomas become in 1910?
A
Labour MP for Derby
23
Q
What did Thomas oversee in 1911?
A
1911 national rail strike, the first of its kind
24
Q
When was the NUR created?
A
1913
25
What did Thomas serve as in the NUR originally?
Assistant secretary
26
When did Thomas become general secretary of the NUR?
1916
27
How did Thomas feel about the WW1?
Supported it
28
When did Lloyd George's coalition government form?
Late 1916
29
How was Thomas able to support Lloyd George's coalition government?
By cracking down on unofficial strikes and ensuring reasonable industrial harmony
30
Who did Thomas work with from within parliament to secure improvements to workers' pay and conditions?
Lloyd George
31
What did Thomas do after the war?
Worked on the TUC General Council in 1921-24 and 1925-29
32
What separated Bevin and Thomas?
Thomas got on well with the upper classes- favourite of King George V and a friend of aristocrats/plutocrats
33
What did both Bevin and Thomas eagerly promote at the beginning of the war?
Formation of the Triple Alliance
34
What does MFGB stand for?
Miners' Federation of Great Britain
35
Which unions formed the Triple Alliance?
MFGB; NTWF; NUR
36
When was the Triple Alliance formed?
1914
37
What did Bevin and Thomas believe that the Triple Alliance would allow?
Effective co-ordination of strike action
38
When did Thomas work on the newly formed parliamentary committee of the TUC?
1917-21
39
What did the TUC General Council replace?
Parliamentary committee of the TUC
40
What was the government's response to fears over insufficient shell and ammunition production?
Munitions of War Act 1915
41
What did the Munitions of War Act 1915 do?
Brought private companies supplying essential wartime supplies under the authority of the ministry of munitions
42
What was the ministry of munitions empowered to do by the Munitions of War Act 1915?
Resolve industrial conflicts
43
How regularly did the ministry of munitions revise national wages during the war?
Every 4 months
44
When did the ministry of munitions grant a what % bonus to skilled workers in engineering and foundries?
12.5% bonus October 1917
45
What did the bonus for skilled workers result in and why?
Strikes by semi-skilled and unskilled labourers; government forced to extend wartime bonus to all workers
46
Who did the Munitions of War Act 1915 place constraints on?
Skilled workers in essential industries
47
How were some workers targeted by the Munitions of War Act 1915?
Skilled workmen could not leave employment without a leaving certificate from their previous employer
48
What issues did the leaving certificates cause?
Handed employers immense power over their workers; no competition for labour
49
What is dilution in terms of employment?
Practice of employing unskilled or semi-skilled workers (often women during the war) as skilled workers
50
What was another grievance for wartime workers and why?
Dilution. Loss of job security for skilled workers. Fear of lower wages.
51
Where was there particular protest about dilution?
On the Clyde- 14,000 female workers were employed, which caused strikes in May 1917
52
Which sector did not suffer from dilution?
Coal mining
53
What was a particular complaint of the coal miners?
Miners recruited for the army were often the older workers
54
When did the government compromise with the coal miners about the men it would conscript? Why did they need the miners?
April 1916- it required miners for tunnelling operations under the trenches of the Somme battlefield
55
What was the compromise that the government made with the coal miners about the men it would conscript?
Agreed to take on miners who had entered work since 1914 and were single
56
Why did strikes break out in March 1915 in South Wales?
Union members concerned that shortage of labour had meant that many new men were employed in mines who were not members of unions (would undermine unions power)
57
When did the employment of non-union members become so serious that the government had to intervene?
March 1916
58
How did the government intervene about the issue of the employment of non-union members?
Made employers make trade union membership a condition of employment for all miners for duration of war
59
Where was the centre of industrial unrest during the war and the heart of British heavy industry?
Glasgow; shipyards and workshops on the river Clyde
60
How much of the workforce did Glasgow compose?
35%
61
What was the area along the river Clyde referred to as?
'Red Clydeside'
62
What was Manny Shinwell an early member of?
ILP
63
What did Manny Shinwell join in 1906?
Glasgow Trades Council as a delegate of the union
64
When was Manny Shinwell prominent in Clydeside?
During the national dock strikes of 1911
65
What job did Bevin do originally?
Van driving
66
What job did Thomas do originally?
Engine driving
67
What job did Shinwell do originally?
Worked in a clothing workshop
68
What did Shinwell do during the war?
Worked as a local secretary of the Glasgow branch of the British Seafarer's Union
69
What did Shinwell earn his fame for?
Militancy against the police
70
What did Shinwell do unsuccessfully in 1918?
Stood as the Labour candidate for West Lothian
71
What was Shinwell's significance during the 40-hour strike 1919?
Key figure in securing the support of the seafarers for the strike
72
When did Shinwell become a Labour MP?
1922
73
What was Shinwell appointed as in Ramsay Macdonald's Labour government and when?
1924, Parliamentary secretary to the mines department
74
How long did Shinwell spend in prison after being found guilty of incitement to riot?
5 months
75
Why/for what event was Shinwell found guilty of incitement to riot?
40-hour strike 1919
76
What job did James Maxton do originally?
Teaching
77
What were Maxton's beginnings?
Born in Glasgow into a Conservative family
78
Why did Maxton turn to socialism?
Shocked by poverty of his Glaswegian students
79
When did Maxton join the ILP?
1904
80
When was Maxton chairman of the Scottish Labour Party?
1913-19
81
How did Maxton feel about the war?
Opposed it and made regular speeches condemning the conflict
82
Why did Maxton become involved in union militancy?
Refused to be conscripted into the army; was sent to work on barges instead
83
What did Maxton become part of during the war?
Clyde Workers' Committee
84
What was the Clyde Workers' Committee formed to campaign against?
Munitions of War Act 1915
85
When did the Clyde Workers' Committee originally come together?
October 1915
86
When was Maxton arrested, serving a year in prison?
1916
87
What happened to Maxton in 1918?
Elected to the National Council of the Labour Party
88
When were the leaving certificates abolished?
1917
89
What was the Munitions of War Amendment Act of January 1916 introduced in response to?
August 1915 Fairfield Yard strikes about leaving certificates
90
When was the Glasgow Rent strike?
1915
91
When did the Glasgow Rent strike continue until?
May 1916
92
How did the Glasgow Rent strike start?
Housewives in Govan, the city centre, protested by refusing to pay rent
93
Which 3 women led the Glasgow Women's Housing Association?
Mary Barbour; Helen Crawford; Agnes Dollan
94
When was the Glasgow Women's Housing Association formed?
1914
95
Why were people unhappy before the Glasgow Rent strikes?
Discontent grew out of the desire for all society to share the sacrifices war entailed
96
What specifically led to the Glasgow Rent strikes?
Influx of workers to the city to sustain increased wartime production caused housing shortages; property owners took this opportunity to dramatically increase rents
97
What legislation did the government pass in response to the Glasgow Rent strikes?
Rents and Mortgage Interest Restriction Act
98
What did the Rents and Mortgage Interest Restriction Act do?
Limited rent and mortgage rents to the levels at which they had been pre-war
99
When did the government introduce the Rents and Mortgage Interest Restriction Act?
25 November 1915
100
What had caused the government to pass the Rents and Mortgage Interest Restriction Act (on top of the rent strikes)?
Under Maxton, the Clydeside Workers' Committee threatened to call a general strike in support of the rent strikes
101
When did the shipbuilders come out in support of the women protesting in the Glasgow Rent strike?
17 November 1915
102
Why was the Glasgow Rent strike significant?
Showed the extent of influence the labouring classes had attained under wartime conditions
103
When did the government become increasingly worried that a socialist revolution might develop in Glasgow?
1915-19
104
When was the 40-hour strike?
January 1919
105
What organised the 40-hour strike?
Joint Strike Committee
106
What was the 40-hour strike in protest of?
Long hours. Wanted working hours a week to be reduced to 40 hours.
107
Where had workers secured a reduction in working hours in early 1919?
Clydeside; Belfast
108
What reduction in working hours had workers secured in early 1919?
From 53 per week to 47
109
Where did a riot break out in Glasgow, as the authorities overreacted to the 1919 strike action?
George Square
110
What did the 1919 general strike mark?
Change in attitude- trade union-organised industrial workers realised the potential for militant protest to influence government policy
111
How was the 1919 general strike action represented in London?
London Underground went on stike
112
When did it genuinely seem as if Britain was on the brink of a revolution?
February-March 1919
113
What specifically sparked the government's fears of a socialist revolution in the 40-hour strike?
Raising of the red flag on the municipal flagpole
114
How did fears of socialist agitation affect the influence of the trade unions?
Increased it
115
Who remarked that the trade unions were an important tool in preventing post-war discontent from spiralling out of control?
Winston Churchill
116
Why did unions benefit from fears of a revolution?
Government hoped that they would control industrial unrest
117
What were the problems with the 1926 General Strike?
Effective government response to the crisis; chaotic and sporadic support TUC secured
118
What was the hostile Conservative press led by during the 1926 General Strike?
Churchill’s ‘British Gazette’
119
What were the priorities for the government during the 1926 General Strike?
Maintaining food supplies and essential services; preserving law and order
120
When did the government send out orders for volunteers to be mobilised during the 1926 General Strike?
3 May
121
What did the government do on the 5 May of the 1926 General Strike?
Sent instructions to the Boards of Guardians to refuse relief to strikers
122
How many middle- and upper-class volunteers did the government recruit during the 1926 General Strike?
300,000-500,000
123
What were the volunteers the government gathered during the 1926 General Strike used for?
To man power stations and docks; act as special constables and transport workers
124
Who (and how many) manned the London Underground during the 1926 General Strike?
2,000 Cambridge undergraduates
125
What was an example of particularly upper-class solidarity during the 1926 General Strike?
At Dover, 460 Cambridge students worked the docks
126
What did the government use instead of the armed forces during the 1926 General Strike?
A civil constabulary reserve from former soldiers and members of the Territorial Army
127
Which city was responsible for 1/5 of the nation’s imports and kept supplies flowing during the 1926 General Strike?
Liverpool
128
Which area of industry did the government fail to resolve during the 1926 General Strike?
Railways
129
What % of passenger rail services were running by the 12 May of the 1926 General Strike?
22.4%
130
What 3 places were there several disturbances during the 1926 General Strike, despite law and order being maintained?
Plymouth; Glasgow; London
131
How many arrests were made during the 1926 General Strike?
1,760
132
What was the most iconic act of violence during the 1926 General Strike?
Derailing of the famous steam locomotive, the ‘Flying Scotsman’, by protesters at Newcastle on 10 May
133
What did the ‘British Gazette’ do during the 1926 General Strike?
Informed public that the government was in a strong position; raised fears that strike represented a revolutionary threat to state
134
When was the BBC formed?
1922
135
Why was the BBC not actually impartial during the 1926 General Strike?
Refused to publish content that would be damaging to government- depended on it for license
136
What tone did the BBC take on during the 1926 General Strike?
A conciliatory one
137
How was the TUC’s propaganda affected during the 1926 General Strike?
Severely restrained- reduced to 4 pages from usual 8
138
What was the TUC’s pro-strike newspaper?
‘British Worker’
139
Why did Churchill order the requisitioning (gov takes control) of the TUC’s newsprint?
Believed government had right to propaganda, unlike the TUC
140
What proves that Baldwin’s government never really took the 1926 General Strike seriously?
Limited use of armed force
141
When was the Communist Party of Great Britain formed?
1920
142
When was the 1926 General Strike specifically (when till when)?
3 May to 12 May 1926
143
How many workers came out in support of the million locked out (not strike, employer refused to let them come to work due to refusing new terms such as lower wages ect) coal miners during the 1926 General Strike?
1.5-1.75 million
144
When had the TUC begun to make arrangements for the industrial action of the 1926 General Strike?
27 April
145
Which of the leaders of the 1926 General Strike believed that it was a success in terms of popular support?
TGWU’s general secretary, Bevin
146
Which workers joined the strikers on the last day of the 1926 General Strike?
Shipbuilders; engineers
147
Who directed the unrest of the 1926 General Strike?
Bevin and the Powers and Orders Committee
148
Which 4 areas had the most organised support for the 1926 General Strike?
Bradford; Leeds; York; Merseyside
149
How many locomotive and firemen went on strike during the 1926 General Strike because of the TUC’s insistence?
98%
150
How many GWR workers went on strike in support of the miners during the 1926 General Strike?
80%
151
What are examples of the organisation and the extent of the 1926 General Strike being far from perfect?
Many London power stations remained in operation; Strike Organising Committee only ever had symbolic control
152
What did the TUC General Council appear to do by calling off the 1926 General Strike?
Betray the workers it represented
153
Why did the General Council become increasingly keen to end the industrial dispute of the 1926 General Strike?
Didn’t want to start a revolution; memory of failure of Black Friday
154
When was the ‘Samuel Memorandum’ rejected?
11 May
155
What presented the opportunity for the TUC to withdraw from the 1926 General Strike?
‘Samuel Memorandum’
156
What was the ‘Samuel Memorandum’?
Proposed that the coal industry be reorganised and miners’ wages cut for one year; National Wages Board would be established
157
Why was the ‘Samuel Memorandum’ rejected?
MFGB refused to consider any cuts
158
What was another problem with the ‘Samuel Memorandum’?
Baldwin would not have been able to support it
159
How did employers initially try and prevent a repeat of the 1926 General Strike?
Many attempted to make union membership a barrier to employment
160
When did the coal miners remain locked out until?
November 1926
161
Which 3 places were wages cut post-General Strike 1926?
South Wales; Scotland; north-east
162
After the 1926 General Strike, where were workers made to work longer hours for the same wages?
Cheltenham tramway
163
How was the trade union movement affected by the 1926 General Strike?
Divided by allegations of betrayal; General Council accused of failing to protect its workers from post-strike victimisation
164
How did trade union membership decline after the 1926 General Strike?
From 5,219,000 to 4,392,000 by 1932
165
How did the government take action to avoid future general strikes after 1926?
Trades Disputes and Trades Unions Act 1927
166
When had the trade unions lost much of their wartime influence?
By 1921
167
After the initial post-war economic boom, when was Britain struggling to recapture trade markets it had dominated in 1914?
By 1920
168
Which European industrial regions had been particularly damaged by the war?
France; Germany
169
Why was there a post-war economic boom in Britain initially?
Much of Europe was in economic ruins; peacetime demand for industrial products was high
170
Why was post-war British industry found to be noncompetitive before long?
Increased pay and reduced hours that British industrialists had won during war; high costs of production
171
When was the government forced to seize a South Wales coalfield in response to declining coal production?
December 1916
172
Why did the government seize a coalfield in South Wales during wartime?
To eliminate employers’ profits and disputes and increase efficiency
173
When was coal production nationalised?
March 1917
174
What piece of legislation nationalised coal production?
Defence of the Realm Act
175
How much did the government increase wages for coal miners by in September 1917?
1 shilling and 6p a day
176
When did the government raise coal miners’ wages again?
July 1918
177
When did the government give up control of the coal mines and railways?
1921
178
How had Britain’s railways been changed by the war?
Made more efficient, with state planning rationalising rolling stock and track
179
Who did the increased efficiency of the railways convince that nationalisation could continue post-war?
James Thomas; MFGB’s President Robert Smillie
180
When did Thomas negotiate with the government to ensure that railway wages would not be severely reduced?
March 1919
181
When did Thomas call a strike in protest of the government’s refusal to make a permanent settlement of the continuation of wartime bonuses?
September 1919
182
Why was the 1919 strike not as successful as it could have been?
Not supported by miners and transport workers
183
What were the miners waiting for during the 1919 strike that made them hesitant to join the action?
A government commission to report on the future of their industry
184
Why didn’t the miners take part in the 1919 strike?
Already won a 2 shilling pay rise (about 20% of total wages) in 1919
185
When was the Sankey Commission formed?
1919
186
Who was the chairman of the Sankey Commission?
Labour lawyer and judge John Sankey
187
What did the Sankey Commission do?
Removed the immediate threat of coal strikes between 1919-21
188
Why did Lloyd George set up the Sankey Commission?
To avoid industrial strikes against the government
189
When did Lloyd George’s coalition government return the coal industry to private owners?
March 1921
190
What did the Sankey Report recommend?
Mines should remain nationalised
191
How long did it take for employers in the coal mines to announce cuts to wages after industry had been privatised again?
A day
192
What did pay for coal miners fall by in 1921 after privatisation?
30%
193
When was Black Friday?
15 April 1921
194
Who was in favour of supporting the miners’ 1921 strike but had to protect his own union?
Ernest Bevin of the NTWF
195
What was Black Friday 1921?
The day when the railway and transport unions refused to support the coal miners in a joint strike, breaking the Triple Alliance and leaving the miners to fight alone against wage cuts.
196
Who did the MFGB single out as responsible for the betrayal of Black Friday?
Robert Williams of the NTWF; James Thomas of the NUR
197
What did the NUR and the NTWF accuse the MFGB of during Black Friday?
Wanting support but refusing the rail and transport factions of the Triple Alliance a part in government negotiations
198
When were the miners of the Black Friday strikes forced back to work due to hunger?
By the end of 1921
199
What led to the collapse of the Triple Alliance?
Black Friday 1921
200
What did the collapse of the Triple Alliance lead to?
Decline in industrial unrest
201
How many days of work were lost to industrial disputes in 1923 compared to 1921?
Sunk from 85,870,000 to 10,670,000
202
What replaced the Defence of the Realm Act?
Emergency Powers Act (EPA) of October 1920
203
What did the EPA allow the government to do?
Declare a national state of emergency in times of severe industrial unrest
204
When was the EPA invoked?
Before Black Friday, with troops being deployed into areas likely to be the sites of strikes
205
When did the government build up an effective anti-strike apparatus?
1919
206
What did the Industrial Unrest Committee become?
Strike Committee
207
Who led the Strike Committee?
Ex-railway manager Eric Geddes
208
When did the government appoint the Industrial Unrest Committee?
February 1919
209
Why was the Strike Committee not needed in the strikes of 1919?
Failure of Triple Alliance to work together
210
What was the name of the Strike Committee changed to in October 1919?
Supply and Transport Committee (STC)
211
How many times did the STC meet between October 1919-November 1921?
46
212
Why was Geddes unhappy with his role on the STC?
Convinced that it was not the position of the government to orchestrate strikebreaking
213
When was Geddes reappointed as chair of the STC, despite his previous resignation?
1920
214
Why did Geddes originally resign from his role as chair of the STC?
Believed the government should be neutral
215
What did Geddes dislike about the STC?
Its secrecy; emphasis on using the military; avoidance of conciliatory measures for disputes
216
How did the STC attempt to reduce the impact of strikes?
Made plans to recruit volunteers to replace striking labourers in essential services; oversaw a co-operation between the government and businesses to stockpile resources
217
What did the STC establish to provide a structure of volunteer response to strikes?
Volunteer Service Committee (VSC)
218
What did the government work with in 1919 to maintain fuel reserves?
British Petroleum Company
219
How did the STC reduce the impact of Black Friday?
Halted coal exports; put troops on alert; called a state of emergency
220
When did the cabinet review the Black Friday 1921 strike and conclude that the STC had prevented the general strike spreading?
16 April 1921
221
When was the STC disbanded as a cost-saving measure?
August 1921
222
When was the STC revived?
1923
223
Who revived the STC?
Britain’s top civil servant, John Anderson
224
What did Bevin want to replace the previous loose Triple Alliance with?
Centralised structure for industrial militancy co-ordination
225
When was a new General Council of the TUC formed to counter the government and employers’ relentless attacks on wages and hours?
1921
226
When did the General Council of the TUC secure the support of the NUR and MFGB?
By 1924
227
What replaced the NTWF?
Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU)
228
Who believed that the General Council was a permanent alliance?
Only Bevin and the TGWU
229
When was the NTWF replaced?
1922
230
How was Bevin connected to the TGWU?
General Secretary
231
When was the ASE formed?
1851
232
What does ASE stand for?
Amalgamated Society of Engineers
233
When did the ASE become the AEU?
1920
234
What does AEU stand for?
Amalgamated Engineering Union
235
Why was the ASE so financially powerful?
Represented respectable skilled workers who were able to pay one shilling a week to their union
236
Why did the ASE deter employers from pushing their workers into strikes?
Its financial strength
237
What had the Labour Party formed the Council of Action in response to?
Risk of Britain entering into a war with Soviet Russia in August 1920
238
How many local Councils of Action had been formed along with the primary one?
350
239
What was the Council of Action supposed to do?
Co-ordinate opposition to any attempt by the British government to aid Poland’s war effort
240
What did the Council of Action succeed in doing?
Raising extensive public opposition to intervention in the Polish conflict
241
What is evidence that the Council of Action succeeded in raising opposition to war with Soviet Russia?
6,000 protesters opposing the war gathered in London in October 1920
242
What is an example of a more radical Council of Action?
Birmingham council
243
What did the Birmingham council recommend?
That the nation’s councils address questions of unemployment and oppose business profits
244
When were the Councils of Action largely confined to opposing military aid for Poland?
1920-21
245
When did the Council of Action begin to lose popular support?
By 1921
246
When did the Polish secure victory over the Soviets and ensure their independence?
1921
247
What did the Councils of Action do post-1921?
Performed a propagandist role in the labour movement; provided an infrastructure for co-ordinating future industrial conflict
248
Why were the Councils of Action never a real revolutionary threat to the state?
Few trade unionists/Labour supporters conceived of these councils as a revolutionary movement
249
When did tensions in the coal mining industry mean that it was once again in confrontation with the government?
1925
250
When was an all-out general strike called by the TUC?
Spring of 1926
251
What are the reasons for the failure of the General Strike of 1926? (3)
Lack of organised workers’ support; efficient organisation of the government; lack of determination from TUC General Council
252
What were the long-term causes of the General Strike? (5)
Changing industrial relations post-WW1; fall in production and price of coal; rising trade union discontent post-Black Friday; determination of mine owners to maintain profits; 1925 return to gold standard and overvalued strength of £
253
How much did British workers’ overall wages fall by on average between 1921-25?
£12 million per week
254
Rather than increasing British competition, what did the wage cuts of 1921-26 do?
Reduced home demand for products and domestic spending, which further increased unemployment
255
What kept international coal prices low after WW1?
Increased competition from German and American mines
256
Why were low international coal prices starting to recover between 1923-25?
French seized control of German mines in the Ruhr; American miners went on strike
257
What happened to British trade between 1921-25?
Stagnated; demand for coal declined; unemployment hit one million
258
Who was Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1924-29?
Winston Churchill
259
What recommended in 1918 that Britain needed to return to the gold standard within 7 years?
Cunliffe Committee
260
What value (in $) was the £ set to in 1925?
Value of $4.86- pre-war level
261
Who initially supported the return to the gold standard?
Economist John Maynard Keynes
262
What did Keynes later say about the return to the gold standard in 1925?
Strangled the British economy; triggered a global recession
263
What did the gold standard do?
Created deflation- wages fell; unemployment increased
264
Why did the return to the gold standard cause so many problems?
British economy was too weak to support such a strong pound
265
Which industry was hit especially hard by the return to the gold standard?
Coal
266
Why were the coal miners encouraged that their wages might be protected by the government during the economic struggles of 1925?
Dispute in the textile industry was resolved by a government commission recommending that textile wages remain constant
267
What were the immediate causes of the General Strike of 1926?
Coal conflict of July 1925; subsequent breakdown of industrial relations
268
What had coal mine owners attempted to do in June 1925 under financial pressure?
Abolish 1924 minimum wage agreement
269
What had the 1924 minimum wage agreement specified?
Profits on 87% of all coal sold would constitute miners’ wages
270
Under the financial strains of 1925, what were the coal mine owners looking to do to improve profits?
Cut wages by 13%; increase daily working hours from 7 to 8
271
What did miners and owners agree on in July 1925?
Rejection of judgement of court of inquiry proposed to look into their dispute; government subsidy of Red Friday
272
How did PM Baldwin approach the coal conflict of July 1925?
Negotiation- offered a 9-month government subsidy of £23 million to support miners’ wages
273
When was ‘Red Friday’?
31 July 1925
274
What did Baldwin appoint alongside his promise of a government subsidy for coal miners?
Samuel Commission
275
What was the Samuel Commission supposed to do?
Investigate the coal industry; provide a long-term solution to the crisis
276
Why did Red Friday intensify the slide towards a general strike?
Subsidy encouraged hope that capitalism might quickly be replaced with socialism
277
Who was surprisingly critical of the Red Friday subsidy?
Ramsay Macdonald
278
Which organisations both recruited middle- and upper-class volunteers to combat strike action before the General Strike of 1926?
Economic League; Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS)
279
When did the government believe that it was ready for any industrial militancy?
By February 1926
280
What did the Samuel Commission recommend about the coal industry?
Coal industry should be rationalised; government should continue manipulating coal revenues; temporary wage reduction; coal industry should not be nationalised
281
When was the Samuel Commission completely rejected by both miners and owners?
March 1926
282
When did things escalate just prior to the General Strike of 1926 and how?
29 April- owners locked out miners who refused to accept wage reductions
283
When did the TUC vote for a general strike in sympathy with the miners?
1 May 1926
284
When did the General Strike of 1926 commence?
3 May 1926
285
Why was Baldwin unable to back down in the General Strike of 1926?
Pressure from hardline anti-trade union Conservatives in the cabinet
286
What was the final push in launching the General Strike of 1926?
OMS poster calling for recruits during government-TUC negotiations
287
What was Red Friday?
Was the day when the British government agreed to subsidize miners' wages to prevent a national strike, marking a major victory for the trade unions—but only a temporary one.
288
What did the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions act do?
Made it illegal for a general strike to be called. It specified that if a strike was called to exert influence on the government, it was illegal.
289
What did the Munitions of War Amendment Act 1916 do?
Allowed workers in essential war industries to leave their jobs with permission, slightly easing the strict labour controls of the original 1915 Act.
