impact on Scottish industry Flashcards
there was industrial tension with dilution tasks
In order to bring unskilled Scots women into engineering, work carried out by skilled men was broken down into smaller, straightforward tasks.
Trade unions agreed to this if women were supervised, paid less and left at the end of the war
new technology was introduced to Scotland
In coal mining, coal miners had been reluctant to invest as 80% of coal was cut using picks and shovels.
The Scottish Government introduced electric cutting gear to improve productivity in case any miners went to war.
The steel industry did very well during the war
In 1914, Scotland produced 1.2 million tons of steel and 2.4 million by 1918.
After the war the need for coal declined
electricity, gas and oil were becoming increasingly popular in the new council houses built and so these were used instead of coal.
Shipbuilding had less demand after the war
The shipbuilding industry experienced a short boom as new ships were ordered to replace those no longer fit for service
The boom however ended in 1921 and from 1921 to 1934, shipyards received few orders.
Unemployment rate rose after the war
With the post-war slump in trade, less workers were needed.
The number of coal workers fell from 150,000 in 1913 to 80,000 by 1923
There was issues retaining male workers
25% of coal miners in Fife volunteered in the initial stages of the war and they were filled by unskilled older workers and women
increasing diversification in Scotland
Many large industrial companies diversified into similar areas because they were attracted by the thought of profit
Beardmore’s produced aircraft, tanks and artillery as well as steel.
Government involvement in Scottish industry rose
The Ministry of Munitions took control of the munitions industry from 1915.
From 1916, the Government intervened in the coal industry to improve output and coal distribution.
Munitions work brought danger to its employees
61 female Scots workers died from chemical poisoning and 71 died from explosions.
Prolonged exposure to sulphuric acid caused major health issues (eg. fertility problems).
10 points on industry
-dilution tasks tension
-new technology
-steel industry did well
-need for coal declined
-less shipbuilding demand
-unemployment rose
-retaining male workers
-diversification
-gov involvement
-munitions danger
demand for goods such as ships increased during the war
the bulk of shipbuilding orders came from the Royal Navy and the biggest firms had orders over £16 million
to meet demand, productivity and output increased
by 1918, 481 warships were built on the Clyde
