How accurate is it to say that in the years 1834-1870, trade unions had no significant impact in Britain?

Question 1

NMU

Answer 1

• NMU’s revolutionised the trade unions by drastically changing their format and way of operating, learning from the failures of the early trade societies and GN
• New rigged administration system included general secretary and executive board of advisors to oversee operations
• Molestation of workmen act 1859 showed bad government relationship had been overturned
• £12,000 per annum collected by 1853 indicative of a more reliable subscription method and better enforced among workers
• ASE had branches from Scotland to Lancashire
• ASE from 1851 was the first example, able to provide £3000 to London builders in 1859 who held out against employers for 6 months before reaching a compromise
• ASCJ from 1860 also took on board the positive changes of the NMU and once again showed growing determination to offer universal unionism by offering unions for a range of similar industries rather than just one
• it was Allan and Applegarths success which saw them start up the London trade council in 1860, suggesting the significant impact that unions had was rooted in the NMU

Question 2

Trade councils-

Answer 2

• Largest forerunner of the TUC and first unionism to largely achieve the main final goal of universal unionism, rather than being bound by occupations or even factories as previous union had
• Led by Applegarth and Allan, it represented both skilled and unskilled workers across a range of industries, showing unions were beginning to mitigate the adverse affects that industrialisation had had on their lives and industries
• at 100,000 members, it was the largest and most successful trade union, whilst the GN was comparatively bigger, its success was much more short lived and its exponential growth was unsustainable
• it was the trade councils of Salford and Manchester who came together after the 1866 meeting (failure) to introduce another new meeting that looked to bind unions together; this had 34 delegates representing 118,000 people, and ultimately led to the formation of the TUC
• smaller industries felt the NMU was not applicable to the, yet under trade councils workers from all sized industries were included

Question 3

TUC

Answer 3

• The TUC finally achieved absolute universal unionism after 1868 and were able to defend the members of all of the working class under one voice, which was more effective than single industries or unions on their own
• the 1867 reform act added to the political ambitions of the TUC, in which the creation of a working man’s party was formed, with two liberal candidates that were voted by middle class and working class
• supported new labour representation league which replaced NRL and looked to send qualified working men to parliament, as well as offering working class support for working class sympathisers in parliament
• their more politicised role saw the TUC achieve both political and work related representation and power, much more significant than anything held by groups of workers before, owing to the significant impact that unions had In GB

Question 4

Criteria-

Answer 4

• The NMU may not have had the most political impact, however it certainly paved the way for the growth and success of all subsequent unions and was the turning point for improved government relations due to the respectable nature in which the NMUs conducted themselves
• the TUC had the most political impact, largely due to its creation simultaneous to the 1867 reform act, allowing it a good level of parliamentary control as it worked with parliament to go about offering more representation of the working classes