Industrial Relations (T3) Flashcards
What employment opportunities did WW2 lead too?
- More Women in workforce
- Better working conditions; improved healthcare, longer hours but better wages.
What is the Control of employment Act?
Semi-skilled workers could take on skilled jobs
What was the essential work order?
Forced people to do particular jobs, 8.5 million
Why was there a growth in the ‘white collar’ industry?
- Higher levels of income fuelled more demand for ‘luxury’ goods and services, like meals out which created jobs.
-More public sector jobs due to increase in spending
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What industries suffered?
Traditional industries suffered and there were huge falls in the number of miners and shipwrights
What did education do?
Gave people better mobility
What were the strikes during the war about?
Wages
Hours
Who became Minister of Labour in 1940?
Bevin, a trade unionist
What did Bevin promote?
Working relationships between unions and management
Who were the Bevin Boys?
Young British men conscripted to work in the coal mines between 1943 and 1948
What did war lead to?
Inclusion of trade unions into many government decision making bodies
What did Attlee’s government do?
- Working with unions established as part of the consensus
- Key industries nationalised
- Trade unionist inclusion on the board of the nationalised Bank of England
What did the 1927 Trade Disputes Act being repealed mean?
It gave the unions more power and making Labour more reliant on union funding
When was the Conservative industrial charter?
1947
What was the Conservative industrial charter?
It showed consensus views on cooperation with the unions and protecting labour rights
What industrial relations in 1950’s like?
- Full employment and high trade union membership
- Growing divide between the workers and middle class
Who were the prosperous trade union leaders in the 50’s?
Vic feather
Jack jones
What could shop stewards do?
They could call unofficial ‘wildcat’ strikes
They wanted a greater share in consumerism
What was happening to the relationship between the conservatives and the Trade Unions?
Deteriorating.
The number of strikes 1955-1964 was double of 1945-1950.
What increased in the 1960’s?
The number of ‘Wildcat’ strikes they accounted for 90% of all strikes.
What was there a clear and present feeling of in the TUC’s?
Militancy- caused by workers whose wages fell behind inflation.
What was unemployment like in the 1970’s?
1 million in 1972
What had reached crisis point in the 70’s?
tensions with the unions- 3 day week and the winter of discontent
What did Wilson attempt to do with the trade unions?
He attempted to have a close relationship with the unions
What act was passed in 1965?
Trade Disputes Act- restored certain legal immunities for TU’s
What did Barbara Castles 1969 ‘In place of strife’ proposed?
(3)
- Secret ballots before strikes become compulsory
- A cooling off period of 90 days could be imposed at ministerial discretion
- Fines be available for breaches of the law by union activists
Was ‘In place of strife’ successful?
No it was so unpopular with unions it was never implemented.
What strike was there in 1966?
The national Seamens strike
What did the seamen want?
What was the outcome?
a 17% pay rise
The strikers give up
What was Heath’s attitude towards the unions?
Selsdon man wanted to limit the power of the unions and refuse to prop failing industries.
When was the Industrial relations act?
1971
What was the industrial relations act?
- Places limits of the right to strike
- Insisted unions had to place themselves on a government register
- Established the National Industrial Relation Court to judge the legality of strike action.
Was the Industrial relations act a success?
The act failed because unions reused to comply.
What strike happened in 1972?
Nation Union of Miners strike + 3 day week.
What happened at the Nation Union of Miners strike + 3 day week?
NUM demanded a 43% pay rise
Government offers 8%
200 000 miners went on strike.
What was the Govt. response to the Nation Union of Miners strike + 3 day week.?
- Government declared a state of emergency.
- The government eventually offered a 27% pay rise.
What strike happened in 1974?
NUM strike + 3 day working week.
What happened at the 1974 NUM strike + 3 day working week?
- 1973 oil crisis led to higher wage demands.
- The NUM dekanded a 35% pay rise.
What did the 3 day week involve?
- Commercial electricity use limited to 3 days each week
- Industry worked 3 days a week
- 50mph driving limit
- Some schools closed
- Tv ended at 10:30 pm each night
