BRITAIN Trade union militancy 1915-27 PART 2 Flashcards
When did the government become increasingly sophisticated at dealing with industrial disputes?
1919-21
When had the trade unions lost much of their wartime influence?
By 1921
After the initial post-war economic boom, when was Britain struggling to recapture trade markets it had dominated in 1914?
By 1920
Which European industrial regions had been particularly damaged by the war?
France; Germany
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
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
When was the government forced to seize a South Wales coalfield in response to declining coal production?
December 1916
Why did the government seize a coalfield in South Wales during wartime?
To eliminate employers’ profits and disputes and increase efficiency
When was coal production nationalised?
March 1917
What piece of legislation naitonalised coal production?
Defence of the Realm Act
How much did the government increase wages for coal miners by in September 1917?
1 shilling and 6p a day
When did the government raise coal miners’ wages again?
July 1918
When did it become apparent to employers that the industrial system of 1914 was gone?
1919
When did the government give up control of the coal mines and railways?
1921
How had Britain’s railways been changed by the war?
Made more efficient, with state planning rationalising rolling stock and track
Who did the increased efficiency of the railways convince that nationalisation could continue post-war?
James Thomas; MFGB’s President Robert Smillie
When did Thomas negotiate with the government to ensure that railway wages would not be severely reduced?
March 1919
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
Why was the 1919 strike not as successful as it could have been?
Not supported by miners and transport workers
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
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
When was the Sankey Commission formed?
1919
Who was the chairman of the Sankey Commission?
Labour lawyer and judge John Sankey
What did the Sankey Commission do?
Removed the immediate threat of coal strikes between 1919-21
Why did Lloyd George set up the Sankey Commission?
To avoid industrial strikes against the government
When did Lloyd George’s coalition government return the coal industry to private owners?
March 1921
What did the Sankey Report recommend?
Mines should remain nationalised
How long did it take for employers in the coal mines to announce cuts to wages after industry had been privatised again?
A day
What did pay for coal miners fall by in 1921?
30%
When was Black Friday?
15 April 1921
Who was in favour of supporting the miners’ 1921 strike but had to protect his own union?
Ernest Bevin of the NTWF
What was Black Friday 1921?
Leaders of the transport and railway unions ordered workers not to strike in sympathy with the miners
Who did the MFGB single out as responsible for the betrayal of Black Friday?
Robert Williams of the NTWF; James Thomas of the NUR
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
When were the miners of the Black Friday strikes forced back to work due to hunger?
By the end of 1921
What led to the collapse of the Triple Alliance?
Black Friday 1921
What did the collapse of the Triple Alliance lead to?
Decline in industrial unrest
How many days of work were lost to industrial disputes in 1923 compared to 1921?
Sunk from 85,870,000 to 10,670,000
What have Marxist and left-wing historians argued about post-war unrest?
Result of the reduced legitimacy of the capitalist system in the eyes of workers
What replaced the Defence of the Realm Act?
Emergency Powers Act (EPA) of October 1920
What did the EPA allow the government to do?
Declare a national state of emergency in times of severe industrial unrest
When was the EPA invoked?
Before Black Friday, with troops being deployed into areas likely to be the sites of strikes
When did the government build up an effective anti-strike apparatus?
1919
What did the Industrial Unrest Committee become?
Strike Committee
Who led the Strike Committee?
Ex-railway manager Eric Geddes
When did the government appoint the Industrial Unrest Committee?
February 1919
Why was the Strike Committee not needed in the strikes of 1919?
Failure of Triple Alliance to work together
What was the name of the Strike Committee changed to in October 1919?
Supply and Transport Committee (STC)
How many times did the STC meet between October 1919- November 1921?
46
Why was Geddes unhappy with his role on the STC?
Convinced that it was not the position of the government to orchestrate strikebreaking
When was Geddes reappointed as chair of the STC, despite his previous resignation?
1920
Why did Geddes originally resign from his role as chair of the STC?
Believed the government should be neutral
What did Geddes dislike about the STC?
Its secrecy; emphasis on using the military; avoidance of conciliatory measures for disputes
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
What did the STC establish to provide a structure of volunteer response to strikes?
Volunteer Service Committee (VSC)
What did the government work with in 1919 to maintain fuel reserves?
British Petroleum Company
How did the STC reduce the impact of Black Friday?
Halted coal exports; put troops on alert; called a state of emergency
When did the cabinet review the Black Friday 1921 strike and conclude that the STC had prevented the general strike spreading?
16 April 1921
When was the STC disbanded as a cost-saving measure?
August 1921
When was the STC revived?
1923
Who revived the STC?
Britain’s top civil servant, John Anderson
What did Bevin want to replace the previous loose Triple Alliance with?
Centralised structure for industrial militancy co-ordination
When was a new General Council of the TUC formed to counter the government and employers’ relentless attacks on wages and hours?
1921
When did the General Council of the TUC secure the support of the NUR and MFGB?
By 1924
What replaced the NTWF?
Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU)
Who believed that the General Council was a permanent alliance?
Only Bevin and the TGWU
When was the NTWF replaced?
1922
How was Bevin connected to the TGWU?
General Secretary
When was the ASE formed?
1851
What does ASE stand for?
Amalgamated Society of Engineers
When did the ASE become the AEU?
1920
What does AEU stand for?
Amalgamated Engineering Union
Why was the ASE so financially powerful?
Represented respectable skilled workers who were able to pay one shilling a week to their union
Why did the ASE deter employers from pushing their workers into strikes?
Its financial strength
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
How many local Councils of Action had been formed along with the primary one?
350
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
What did the Council of Action succeed in doing?
Raising extensive public opposition to intervention in the Polish conflict
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
What is an example of a more radical Council of Action?
Birmingham council
What did the Birmingham council recommend?
That the nations’ councils address questions of unemployment and oppose business profits
When were the Councils of Action largely confined to opposing military aid for Poland?
1920-21
When did the Council of Action begin to lose popular support?
By 1921
When did the Polish secure victory over the Soviets and ensure their independence?
1921
What did the Polish secure their independence in?
Peace of Riga
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
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
When did trade union militancy collapse?
1921-26
When did tensions in the coal mining industry mean that it was once again in confrontation with the government?
1925
When was an all-out general strike called by the TUC?
Spring of 1926
What are the reasons for the failure of the General Strike of 1926?
Lack of organised workers’ support; efficient organisation of the government; lack of determination from TUC General Council
What were the long-term causes of the General Strike?
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 £
How much did British workers’ wages fall by on average between 1921-25?
£12 million per week
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
What kept international coal prices low after WW1?
Increased competition from German and American mines
Why were low international coal prices abated between 1923-25?
French seized control of German mines in the Ruhr; American miners went on strike
What happened to British trade between 1921-25?
Stagnated; demand for coal declined; unemployment hit one million
Who was Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1924-29?
Winston Churchill
What recommended in 1918 that Britain needed to return to the gold standard within 7 years?
Cunliffe Committee
What was the £ set to in 1925?
Value of $4.86- pre-war level
Who initially supported the return to the gold standard?
Economist John Maynard Keynes
What did Keynes later say about the return to the gold standard in 1925?
Strangled the British economy; triggered a global recession
What did the gold standard do?
Created deflation- wages fell; unemployment increased
Why did the return to the gold standard cause so many problems?
British economy was too weak to support such a strong pound
Which industry was hit especially hard by the return to the gold standard?
Coal
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
What were the immediate causes of the General Strike of 1926?
Coal conflict of July 1925; subsequent breakdown of industrial relations
What had coal mine owners attempted to do in June 1925 under financial pressure?
Abolish 1924 minimum wage agreement
What had the 1924 minimum wage agreement specified?
Profits on 87% of all coal sold would constitute miners’ wages
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
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
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
When was ‘Red Friday’?
31 July 1925
What did Baldwin appoint alongside his promise of a government subsidy for coal miners?
Samuel Commission
What was the Samuel Commission supposed to do?
Investigate the coal industry; provide a long-term solution to the crisis
Why did Red Friday intensify the slide towards a general strike?
Subsidy encouraged hope that capitalism might quickly be replaced with socialism
Who was surprisingly critical of the Red Friday subsidy?
Ramsay Macdonald
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)
When did the government believe that it was ready for any industrial militancy?
By February 1926
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
When was the Samuel Commission completely rejected by both miners and owners?
March 1926
When did things escalate just prior to the General Strike of 1926?
29 April- owners locked out miners who refused to accept wage reductions
When did the TUC vote for a general strike in sympathy with the miners?
1 May 1926
When did the General Strike of 1926 commence?
3 May 1926
Why was Baldwin unable to back down in the General Strike of 1926?
Pressure from hardline anti-trade union Conservatives in the cabinet
What was the final push in launching the General Strike of 1926?
OMS poster calling for recruits during government-TUC negotiations
