how far was the shift towards factory production responsible for the growth of trade unionism in the Years 1785-1834??

Question 1

Adoption of the factory system

Answer 1

• prior to factors system, work done in small units of labour with master, journeyman and apprentice
• factory system widened the gap between the employer and employee to the point where there was no direct communication between the two and employees became apathetic towards the demands and welfare of their employers
• factories also provided a suitable place for workers to group together and collaborate their concerns
• adverse working conditions of the factory acted as a further incentive for workers to protest against the system to increase protection for themselves; 49% of the workforce were under 20, workers could be fined 1/5th of a days wage for talking or 2 hours wages for being 10 minutes late, children were sent into machines whilst they were operating to fix them

Question 2

Government policies/ laissez faire

Answer 2

• combination acts, whilst its intention was to suppress the workers, it actually provided a source for further discontent and therefore further unionism growth as people wanted to join together to oppose this too
• Corn laws 1816 were seen as the government protecting their own as they ensured a minimum price for the land owners bushel of wheat, raising the cost of living for workers in agriculture
• acts such as the 1797 unlawful oaths act carried harsher sentences than the 3 months of the combination acts; the fact the acts were repealed in 1824 would suggest they were unsuccessful with curtailing the growth of unionism
• repeal of statute of artificers allowed greater laissez faire policies from 1813
• repeal of acts 1824 saw the emergence of new unionism pioneers such as John Doherty who attempted to make unionism a nationwide project with his unions in 1829

this allowed the factory system to thrive further through a lack of intervention, suggesting this was an indirect cause of growth, and it was the factory system which actually caused growth

Question 3

Protection for workers

Answer 3

-there was a growing concern among workers as a result of the factory system and government policies which saw them collaborate in their respective industries and increase unionism growth
-the wigan weavers formed in 1799 had 14 branches across Lancashire, and the London printers association from 1792 gained 539 signatures for a petition to stop wages falling
-Grand national epitomised the demands for collective bargaining and protection as it gathered 1mn members 500,000 in its 1st week
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there was a clear link between industries that created unions, and industries largely replaced by factories, suggesting it was the factory system which prompted this growth

Question 4

External factors/ French wars

Answer 4

• war with France saw Napoleon blockade ports between 1806-1812 which increased the price of living
• it created social discontent, and 400,000 soldiers returning from war had very few job prospects, as well as war industry related workers losing employment ie 7000 iron workers in Shropshire
• growth of unionism tended to coincide with wider economic problems; to pay for the war the government increased indirect taxes on goods used by the lower classes (indirect tax revenue increased £50mn after 1815) showing a lack of care from the government towards all aspects of workers lives

this factor shows that the factory system was not the sole reason for growth of unions as economic problems and war with France affected all workers, but this mostly exacerbated the problems of most workers who were In factories as most workers were employed in factories