Trade Unions Flashcards
What are Trade Unions?
An Organisation that Represents Workers
- Use Collective Bargaining to pressure for Better Pay / Conditions and protect workers
- Typically Centred on a Profession
What is the TUC?
Trade Unions Congress
- Formed in 1868
When was there an Increase in Trade Unions Influence?
WWI
- 1913 - over 4,000,000 workers were in a Trade Union
- 1919 - over 8,000,000 workers were in a Trade Union
- Worsened Living Conditions (1915 Miners asked for 20% wage increase)
Who were the Key figures in Trade Unions Increased Influence?
Ernest Bevin & James Henry Thomas
Who was Ernest Bevin?
- 1916 He was elected to the Executive Committee of the National Transport Worker’s Federation (NTWF)
- He was pivotal in transforming NTWF Policy in the War
Who was James Henry Thomas?
- Responsible for the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR)
- Became General Secretary of NUR in 1916
- Worked with Lloyd George in Parliament
What was the Triple Alliance?
The Collaboration of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain (MFGB), the NTWF and the NUR
- Bevin and Thomas believed that this would allow for Coordination of Strike Action
What Pressures did the War put on Workers?
- 1915 Munitions Act
- Dilution
What was the 1915 Munitions Act?
- Gave the Government the power to Regulate Wages and Hours of any company providing Essential Wartime Supplies
- Also placed Constraints on Skilled Workers in Essential Industries by Preventing them from moving into Better Payed Unskilled Jobs to prevent a Decrease in Productivity
- Employers now had immense Power over Workers due to needing a ‘Leaving Certificate’ as they could treat Employees badly and have Control over their Future Employment
What was Dilution?
- There was anger surrounding the use of Semi-Skilled or Unskilled Workers as it Undermined the position of Skilled Workers
- Was a Large Problem in Coal Miners as many were Recruited for the Army - Led to a Increase in newly employed men who weren’t part of a Trade Union
- This Government made it a Condition to join a Trade Union in hopes to Relation but this only angered workers as it made it seem like the Unions were working for the Government and not them
What was Red Clydeside?
Nickname for Glasgow due to it being a Labour Stronghold
Glasgow had a high Labour Support Base due to:
- Many Shipyards & Workshops
- Large proportion of Munitions Factories
- 35% of Workforce in Professions with Trade Unions
Who is Manny Shinwell?
- Committed Socialist (early Independent Labour Party member)
- Prominent in 1911 National Dock Strikes
- Fame from Militancy against Police
- Elected as Labour MP in 1922
- Appointed as Parliamentary Secretary of Mine Dept in 1924
Who is James Maxton?
- Joined ILP in 1904
- Chairman of Scottish Labour Party 1913-19
- Refused Conscription and sent to work on Barges
- Became involved in Union Militancy from his work on Barges
- Organised Strikes in Shipyards
- Became part of Clyde Worker’s Committee to Campaign against 1915 Munitions Act and War
What were the Causes of the Glasgow Rent Strike?
Due to the dramatic influx of people to the city Landlords dramatically Increased Rent Prices
What was the Glasgow Rent Strike?
Housewives protested the increase in Rent Prices by refusing to pay and blocking the Landlord’s rent collectors
- Working men & Ship builders joined the protest demanding Better Pay and Conditions
What was the Result of the Glasgow Rent Strike?
1915 the Government passed the Rents & Mortgage Interest Restriction Act
- This limited the rent to its Pre-War prices
- Was past due to the threat of a General Strike from the Clydeside Workers’ Committee
What were Trade Unions like following the End of WWI?
- Cooperation of Trade Unions and Government through most of the War
- Trade Unions raised concerns about number of men returning from war and the Displacement of workers hired during the war
What were the Causes of the 40 Hour Strike?
- Huge increase of men looking for jobs at the End of the War
- Government decided to limit Working Hours to 40 / Week to allow for more people to be employed
- This was largely unpopular with Employers and the Government
What was the 40 Hour Strike?
Workers wanted to Decrease Hours to not risk Unemployment - but also needed Sufficient income
Employers weren’t fans of this because they thought it would Decrease Productivity
- 1919 Shipbuilders secured a 47 Hour Working Week and Trade Unions wanted to Push for an even Shorter Week
- Led Glasgow and Belfast workers to Strike for a 40 Hour Week
What was the Result of the 40 Hour Strike?
- The government Overreacted to the Strikes and perceived a Threat of Socialist Revolution leading to and Troops and Tanks being sent to the Cities (Raising of Red Flag)
- This caused a Riot ‘The Battle of George Square’
- This marked the point where Trade Union realised the Influence of Militant Tactics
What were the Causes of Black Friday?
- The war meant there was a High Demand for Labour causing the Nationalisation of Coal Production under the Defence of the Realm Act
- Following the war there was an argument for Continued Nationalisation but the Government Refused to make a Permanent Settlement
- Thomas called a Strike for Railway men in Sept 1919 but wasn’t Supported by the MFGB or NTWF
- Lloyd George realised he needed to lower the wages of Coal Workers to Increase Foreign Competitiveness but also wanted to avoid Strikes
- He created the Sankey Commission to investigate the Coal Industry - Found that it would be beneficial to Continue Nationalisation of Coal
- However Lloyd George Returned the Industry to Private Owners in 1921 as he didn’t want to run it any longer
- Owners cut Coal Miners’ wages as Pay dropped by 30% - This caused the Miners’ to Strike hoping the other Unions would join
What was the Result of Black Friday?
- Miners went on Strike in 1921
- NUR and NTWF both did not join the strike
- By the End of 1921 the Miners had to Return to Work
- Failure of the Strike led to the Collapse of the Triple Alliance
What did Black Friday Reveal about Postwar Labour?
- There was a determination to Keep the Wage Increases from the War
- There was Increased Awareness about the Influence Unified Strike Action held
- The Government was determined to Counter Industrial Efforts to Secure Influence
What was the Government Action & Response to Trade Unions?
- Emergency Powers Act
- Strike Committee / Supply & Transport Committee
What was the Emergency Powers Act?
- October 1920
- Allowed the Government to Declare a state of National Emergency in the case of Severe Industrial Unrest
What was the Supply & Transport Committee?
- February 1919
- Was the Strike Committee but was renamed for appearing too hostile
- Created to Counter Strike Activity
- Made plans to reduce Strikes Impact (e.g Volunteers ready in the case of a Strike)
- 1921 able to decrease impact of Coal Strikes by Halting Exports and Putting Troops on Alert
What were the Long Term Causes for the General Strike?
- Change in Industrial Relations due to WWI
- Fall in Production and Price of Coal
- Rising Disscontempt following Black Friday
- Mine Owners Cutting Wages and Raising Hours
- 1925 Return to the Gold Standard
What was the Gold Standard?
Churchill wanted to stabilise the Economy
- Caused a recession and deflation
What were the Short Term Causes for the General Strike?
- July 1925 TUC commits to Sympathy Strike and halts Coal Exports
- PM Baldwin negotiates with Union and agrees on 9 Month Subsidy of £23m - Known as ‘Red Friday’
- Government used 9 Month period to prepare Counter-Strike Measures (STC) - Whereas the TUC were inactive
- The Samuel Commission Report recommended the: Rationalisation of Coal, Temporary Reduction in Wages, Not to Nationalise Coal, & Profits to be Shared with Miners and Owners
- March 1926 Mine Owners lock out those who refuse Wage Reduction
- April 1926 ‘Red Friday’ Subsidy runs out
- May 1926 Employers cut wages and TUC votes for General Strike on 3rd of May
What was the General Strike?
- 1.5 Million Workers on top of 1 Million Miners began to Strike on 4 May 1926
- 1.5 Million Mixed workers came from: Transport, Printing, Iron & Steel, Gas & Electricity
- Less than 1% of Firemen, Engine Drivers & Railway Guards came to work
- 98% of Railwaymen striked until the end of the General Strike
What was Bevin and the Strike Organisation Committee’s Involvement in the General Strike?
- Distributed Food
- Supported Health Services
What was the Government’s Response to the General Strike?
- Baldwin was committed to a Peaceful Resolve but was Convinces to Tough Action by Conservatives (e.g. Churchill)
- Government’s main priorities were Maintaining Food / Essential Services & Maintaining Law & Order
How did the Government Maintain their Priorities in the General Strike?
- Recruited 300,000-500,000 Middle & Upper Class Volunteers
- London Underground was operated by 2,000 Cambridge Students
- Government formed a Civil Constabulary
What areas of the General Strike were the Government unable to Control?
Railways
- 5 May only 1% of Freight could be moved
- 12 May rose to 6%
Law & Order Disturbances
- Clashes between Miners and Police in Glasgow
- 1,760 Arrests made across the Strike
How did the Government use Media in the General Strike?
Churchill was Editor of the British Gazette
- Aimed to Undermine the strike by suggesting it was a Revolutionary Threat and also that Disruption was Minimal
- Churchill wanted to but couldn’t secure the BBC as a tool
- Government refused to put any TUC propaganda on the BBC
- TUC’s Pro-Strike Newspaper was Restricted
Why did the General Strike Fail?
- Herbert Samuel offered to help the TUC end the Strike
- TUC created propositions with help of Samuel - But didn’t consult Miners’ Federation - These became known as the ‘Samuel Memorandum’
- The Principles were not agreed to by the Miners, Mine Owners or the Government
- The Government insisted the Strike be called off before they would negotiate
- 12 May the TUC told Workers to Return to Work
What was the Samuel Memorandum?
- National Wage Board Established
- Minimum Wage for Miners
- Workers forced out of work must be Offered Alternative Employment
- Wage Subsidies during Negotiation
- TUC suggested Wage Reduction after the Reorganisation (This is what put off Miners)
What were the Results of the General Strike?
- Employers tried to ensure there was never a repeat of the General Strike - Some made union membership a barrier to employment
- Many workers struggled to get their old jobs back
- Miners were forced to accept 7 1/2 hour work days
- Trade Union Movement was divided by allegations of betrayal
- Trade Union Membership declined from 5.2 million to 4.4 million by 1932
What was the Trade Dispute Acts?
The Government took action to avoid future Strikes by Passing the Trade Unions Act and Trade Disputes Act in 1927
- Trade Disputes Act made it Illegal for a General Strike to be called
