Industrial relations? Flashcards
How did the post-war consensus dictate conservative policy towards trade unions 1951-1964?
Committed to maintaining full employment
What were the blips 1951-1964?
Disagreements over economy/stop-go cycle
Macmillan said ‘we need restraint and common sense’ (persuade shouldn’t have high wage increases)
1957 dispute over wage management
1961 pay pause introduced
What were the disputes over wage management 1957?
Thorneycroft wanted a monetarism policy towards (would’ve created bad relations)
Macmillan sided with expansionist policies, preserving the post war consensus
Why did the blips not become something bigger 1951-1964?
Age affluence creates good feeling
National economic development council 1961
National incomes commission 1962
Bigger issues in labour (didn’t expect to be allies with the conservatives)
Who was the leader of the labour party and why was this significant with the trade unions?
Right-wing leader Gaitskell
Frank cousins particularly opposed to Gaitskell due to the issue of nuclear weapons
Gaitskell tried to abolish Clause IV but backed down due to opposition from TUs
When did Frank Cousins become leader of TGWU?
1956
When did Gaitskell try to abolish Clause IV?
1959 Labour party conference
How did Labour 1964-1970 start off?
Wanting to work with the TUs
When and what was Cousins made minister of?
1964 - minister of technology
What did George Brown and DEA try to come to an agreement about?
Wages and prices
What did George Brown and DEA’s discussions come to/what did it lead to?
Nothing - problems with the treasury
Seamen strikes ‘‘wildcat strikes ‘’
Strikes were defeated but people shocked how critical Wilson was of strikers
What are wildcat strikes?
Bottom-up
Ran by the workers not the trade unions
When was In place of strife?
1969
What was In place of strife?
An attempt to limit unofficial strikes Terms included: 28-day cooling off period Government settlements in between disputes Industrial relations court
What did In Place of Strife cause?
Split in the labour party and a backing down of government
What did Heath inherit in 1970?
Uncooperative trade unions - dockers, large pay settlements, ‘‘go-slow’‘/power cuts
What was the industrial relations act 1971?
Similar to In Place of Strife
TUC and CBI against it
How many working days were lost during the strikes 1972?
23,909,000 - highest since 1926 and led to 3 day week
What was the Industry Act 1972?
Involve gov, TUC, CBI in agreeing wages/prices (goes back on scrapping of DEA)
What did November 1973 OPEC crisis lead to/what was it?
Lack of oil so dependent on coal
Increased wage demand from miners as needed
Lead to a 3-day week from January 1st 1974
National strike
General election 28th february 1974
What was Wilson’s attitudes to TUs 1974-1979?
Policy of appeasement
What did Wilson want voters to think?
Labour was better equipped to deal with worker strikes
What/when was the Social Contact?
1973
Negotiated voluntary pay restraint by unions in return for repealing industrial relations act
Who was appointed Ministers of industry and employment 1974-1979?
Tony Benn
Michael Foot
What did Healy’s budget aim to do?
Not annoy the trade unions
What happened in 1975 with pay restraints?
TUs not sticking to their side of the social contract so more formal pay policy was introduced angering many left-wingers
What did Callaghan’s september 1976 speech warn?
The ‘cosy world’ with full employment was gone
What did divisions in the labour party lead to 1974-1979?
Growth of leftists militancy - local councils/TUs did what they wanted
How did the winter of discontent begin?
Autumn 1978 - TUC rejected proposals of wage rises to 5% and demanded 15% (achieved after 9 day strike -lorry drivers)
What was the winter of discontent not as bad as?
1974 - it wasn’t as economically damaging but more socially crushing
When did the winter of discontent end?
March 1979
What was the average pay wage at the end of the winter of discontent?
10%
What did the winter of discontent cause?
Damage to trade union reputation
Brought down labour government
