trade unions

Question 1

issues which the trade unions have already dealt with

Answer 1

• 1901 taff vale
  *1906 trade disputes act
• 1909 osborne judgement
• 1910-1913 strike action
• 1913 trade union act- reversed osborne judgement

Question 2

rise in trade unionism between 1910-1914

Answer 2

• 2,500,000 in 1910
• 4,100,000 in 1914
  very rapid increase- union leaders now at head of a mass movement

Question 3

strike in 1910

Answer 3

• coal strike in Tonypandy led to rioting, attacks on jewish owned shops, and the use of troops and one dead
• 1911- 2000 men ordered to south wales

Question 4

strike in 1912

Answer 4

• first national pit strike began
• feb- apr
• miners demanded a national minimum wage
• led to compromist of minimum wage act for mining (mines act of 1912)
• set up local boards in colliery districts to fix minimum wages for miners working on difficult seams

Question 5

strike in 1913

Answer 5

• metal working indsutries of Midlands
• transport workers in Dublin
• nunber involved in industrial disputes unprecedented

Question 6

percentage of workers in trade unionism

Answer 6

1910-17% of workers
1914- 25% of workers

Question 7

why did the number of strikes increase

Answer 7

largely around economic change and role and actions of bosses of the unions and bosses of the businesses

Question 8

summarise the reasons for why strikes increased

Answer 8

• long term conflicts with employers - had resisted idea of unionism which feeds into keeness to use blackleg labour
• long term structural change in the economy- foreign imports increasing, businesses not getting money so cant justify paying their workers
• economic pressure- short term rise in inflation
• failure of the gov to take action means the unions have to take it for themselves.
• trade unionism rising naturally leading to them being more active and leading to strike action
• rise in radicals who want to use TU as part of a wider socioeconomic change

Question 9

summarise govt response to srike action

Answer 9

• DLG concerned to maintain support of the w/c for their vote
• so repsonse was mainly conciliatory with gov generally refusing to side with employers or to intervene
• attempts to ameliorate poor working conditions and wages- Minimum Wage Act for Mining in 1912