BRITAIN Trades union militancy 1915-27 PART 1 Flashcards
How much of the globe’s land had Britain controlled pre-WW1?
1/3
What was Britain’s wealth mainly derived from pre-WW1?
Heavy industry, built on iron production and coal mining
How many British people were killed in WW1?
820,000+
What did the increased demands for labour during the war allow workers to do?
Campaign for improvements
How much of the nation’s workforce did working-class labourers make up?
70%
When was the rise of the trade union movement?
1915-26
How did membership of the trade unions change between 1913-19?
4,189,000 members to 8,081,000 members
Why was the nationalisation of industry a positive for the trade unions?
Brought them into direct contact with the government and allowed for direct negotiations
How many men were there in Britain at the beginning of WW1?
15 million
How many men were recruited for combat in WW1?
4,970,000 for army; 407,000 for navy; 293,000 for air force
What was industrial production like in July 1915?
Mining production had fallen 21.8%; iron and steel production was down 18.8%; shipbuilding fell 16.5%
By when were coal miners demanding a 20% rise in wages to meet growing living expenses?
March 1915
Who was at the forefront of efforts to unite union militancy pre-WW1?
Ernest Bevin; James Henry Thomas
When did Bevin become a trade union official for the Docker’s Union?
1911
When was the NTWF formed?
1910
When was Bevin elected to the executive committee of the NTWF?
1916
What does NTWF stand for?
National Transport Workers’ Federation
Which constituency was Bevin defeated in as the parliamentary candidate for in 1918?
Central Bristol
What was Bevin pivotal in during the war?
Forming NTWF policy
Who was responsible for the NUR and instrumental in its formation?
James Henry Thomas
What does NUR stand for?
National Union of Railwaymen
What had Thomas originally worked for after growing up in poverty?
Great Western Railway (GWR)
What did Thomas become in 1910?
Labour MP for Derby
What did Thomas oversee in 1911?
1911 national rail strike, the first of its kind
When was the NUR created?
1913
What did Thomas serve as in the NUR originally?
Assistant secretary
When did Thomas become general secretary of the NUR?
1916
How did Thomas feel about the WW1?
Supported it
When did Lloyd George’s coalition government form?
Late 1916
How was Thomas able to support Lloyd George’s coalition government?
By cracking down on unofficial strikes and ensuring reasonable industrial harmony
Who did Thomas work with from within parliament to secure improvements to workers’ pay and conditions?
Lloyd George
What did Thomas do after the war?
Worked on the TUC General Council in 1921-24 and 1925-29
What separated Bevin and Thomas?
Thomas got on well with the upper classes- favourite of King George V and a friend of aristocrats/plutocrats
What did both Bevin and Thomas eagerly promote at the beginning of the war?
Formation of the Triple Alliance
What does MFGB stand for?
Miners’ Federation of Great Britain
Which unions formed the Triple Alliance?
MFGB; NTWF; NUR
When was the Triple Alliance formed?
1914
What did Bevin and Thomas believe that the Triple Alliance would allow?
Effective co-ordination of strike action
When did Thomas work on the newly formed parliamentary committee of the TUC?
1917-21
What did the TUC General Council replace?
Parliamentary committee of the TUC
What was the government’s response to fears over insufficient shell and ammunition production?
Munitions of War Act 1915
What did the Munitions of War Act 1915 do?
Brought private companies supplying essential wartime supplies under the authority of the ministry of munitions
What was the ministry of munitions empowered to do by the Munitions of War Act 1915?
Resolve industrial conflicts
How regularly did the ministry of munitions revise national wages during the war?
Every 4 months
When did the ministry of munitions grant a 12.5% bonus to skilled workers in engineering and foundries?
October 1917
What did the 12.5% bonus for skilled workers result in?
Strikes by semi-skilled and unskilled labourers; government forced to extend wartime bonus to all workers
Who did the Munitions of War Act 1915 place constraints on?
Skilled workers in essential industries
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