Trade Unions Flashcards

1
Q

When did unions first begin to break down?

A

(1966) after strike by National Union of Seamen
–> Frank Cousins resigned over incomes policy

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2
Q

How did Wilson try to make unions happy?

A

(1964) Frank Cousins = minister of tech
relied on prices and incomes policy

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3
Q

What were wildcat strikes?

A

Sudden unofficial local disputes without refernce to national leadership
–> union bosses losing control

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4
Q

How did Cons. try to help TU in 1967?

A

Fair Deal at Work under Edward Heath

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5
Q

What did Lab. implement in 1969 for TU?

A

Barbara Castle produced ‘white paper’
–> could be contreversial
–> 28 days cooling off period before strike
–> strike ballots could imposed

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6
Q

Those who were for and agaisnt In Place of Strife?

A

For: Roy Jenkins (Chancellor), Unions, Left of Lab.
Against: union leaders e.g. Jack Jones (TGWU),, James Callaghan and 50 Lab MP’s

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7
Q

How did row over In place of strife end?

A

(July 1969) Wilson gave in
TUC negotiated a face-saving compromise but it was a humiliating climbdown by gov.

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8
Q

Post war consensus by 1970 for TU?

A

TU seemed more uncooperative , forcing Lab. to reofrm industrial relations

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9
Q

Issues with TU under Heath?

A

dockers strike
large pay settlement for dustmen
postal worker strike

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10
Q

How did Heath deal with intial TU problems?

A

Intro. Industrial Relations Act
Abolished the National Board for Prices and Incomes

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11
Q

What was the Industrial Relations Act?

A

Set up Industrial Relations Court
provided strike ballots
cooling off period before unoffical strikes begin

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12
Q

Outcome of Industrial Relations Act?

A

Policy didnt work as expected
TUC and CBI opposed to it
(1972) major strikesaw highest numbers of days lost to strikes

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13
Q

Affect of miners striking in 1972?

A

coal stopped moving
state of emergency
schools closed
1.2 million workers laid off
3 day week
Wilberforce Commitee negotiate generous wage settlement

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14
Q

As well as wage demands what else did Heath do after 1972 strikes?

A

Passed Industry act
–> aimed to involve gov., TUC and CBI in agreeing wages, prices and benefits
–> heavily criticsed by right of Cons. (Enoch Powell)

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15
Q

What strike occured in 1973?

A

industrial disputes with firefighter and power workers

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16
Q

Why did miners demand higher wages?

A

after 1973 strike and oil crisis in November
–> beyond the limits gov. watned to impose to hold down inflation
–> miners intro. overtime ban to strengthen deamnds

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17
Q

What was intro in 1974?

A

three-day week after strike
–> conserve electricity

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18
Q

What did Heath do to try solve 1973 miners strike?

A

Moved Willie Whitelaw from NI Office to be a minister of employment as he was a skilled negotiator
–> failed
–> miners refused pay offer and gov. refused to treat miners as a special case

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19
Q

What was called in 1974?

A

(January 1974) NUM called national strike

20
Q

What did Wilson do when Lab came back in gov?

A

prove Lab. was better equipped
(1973) negotiated Social Contract with TUC
–> voluntary pay restraint by TU and would repeal Heaths Industrial Act and pay board

21
Q

Outcome of Social Contract?

A

TU sent msg that gov. were not looking for confrontations
Agreement settled quickly and 3 day week ended
Tony Benn and Michael Foot were in charge of departments of Indistry and Employment

22
Q

What did TUC reject in 1978?

A

Lab. gov proposal for wage increase limit of 5%
–> it enocouraged TU to put in hgiher demands

23
Q

What did Ford Lorry drivers gain in Dec 1978?

A

15% increase in Dec after 9 week strike

24
Q

What happened after the Ford Lorry driver?

A

more unions followed their example:
incl. transport e.g. trains
strikes by public sector workers e.g.hospital porters and dustmen

25
Q

What was the winter of 1978-9 called?

A

Winter of discontent
–> disputes brought to end in March 1979with avrg. wage incr to 10%
–> physcological affect on public mood

26
Q

What were TU annoyed about with Thatcher initially?

A

her eco. reforms

27
Q

What unions were hostile at beginning of Thatchers premeirship?

A

COHSE and NUPE became more militatn
teachers unions disputes over working coniditions

28
Q

What were new laws intro. to constrain unions?

A

(1980) secondary picketing outlawed
(1984) unions under pressure to hold ballots before strike
employers keep unions out of workplace

29
Q

What was the main strike under thatchers time as PM?

A

(1984-5) miners strike

30
Q

What happened before miners strike?

A

(1981) NCB (National Coal Board) warned need to close 223 pits
–> didnt want rerun of 1973-4 events
–> they compromised by reducing coal imports and protecting subsidy to NCB

31
Q

What happened in 1984 with miners strike?

A

gov. prep. and confident
–> huge stocks built up at power stations
–> good flow of North Sea oil
NCB announced need to close 20 pits
–> Arthur Scargill saw plan for 70 pits (seen in 2014 although denied at time)

32
Q

Scargill in 1984 miners strike?

A

Charismatic leader but didnt get total support for national strike
refusal to hold strike ballot weakened case
Nottinghamshire miners formed breakaway union (UDM)

33
Q

Opinion of police as a role for NUM defeat?

A

New equipment, more experience of riot control and better tactics
critics of Thatcher balmed her for politicisiation of police –> defeat miners rather than being impartial protectors of law and order

34
Q

COnfrontation of police and miners?

A

Battle of Oregreave
5000 miners vs 8000 police officers

35
Q

Scargill as reason for NUM defeat?

A

didnt get support of Lab. leadership
easy to demonise Scargill in media

36
Q

Outcome of Scargills campaign to prevent pit closures?

A

utter failure:
- over 10 years coal industry employed went down by 140,000
power of unions reduced
(1990) Union membership 2/3 of 1979

37
Q

Thatchers dealing with unions compared to other PM?

A

WEakness of Edward Heath 1973-4
Jim CAllaghan WInter of Discontent
Defining moment of Thatcherism

38
Q

Pit closures under Majors reign?

A

(1991) Heseltine announced 31 pit closures in Nottinghamshire
–> poor reward considering they went against Scargill
–> outcry forced short term U-turn
–> eventually closures went ahead

39
Q

How did Kinnock signal a split with TU?

A

(1989) ended Lab. support fro closed shop union agreements
–> workers have to be members of a particular union

40
Q

TU membership in 1980’s

A

Decresed from 29% to 26%

41
Q

New Labour position with TU?

A

DIdnt repeal TU legislation
openly critical of strike action by trade unionists
Learning from winter of disconent, image of pro business

42
Q

Which policies were TU critical of?

A

continuing cons. policies: outsourcing and PFI
although they wanted to protect employment rigths of workers who moved from public to private , allowed contracting out to continue
extended privitisations
(2004) RMT expelled from party because some were donating to left-wing political parties

43
Q

What did Lab. gov. opt back into?

A

European Social Chapter
–> follow European policies regarding employment and social rights
–> employees entitled to reuqnest up to 3 months unpaid parental leave to care for child under 8

44
Q

What programme helped people find work under Blair?

A

New Deal Programme targeted particual group sof unemployed e.g. youth, elder, diasbled, and promised to find them work

45
Q

Limitations to New Deal programme?

A

SUpport limited and complaints that sanctions imposed it people didnt take support was counter-productive and unfair

46
Q

When and what NAtional Minimum wage?

A

(1998) Low Pay Commission set up to oversee and set the wage
–> although initially very low