Trade Unions

Question 1

Colin Hay on the Winter of Discontent

Answer 1

It was a constructed crisis made up of separate events

The mythology is vital to its significance

Question 2

Shepherd, Book on Winter of Discontent 2013

Answer 2

A series of short term industrial crises handled badly by the Callaghan government
It was a crisis of one government’s industrial policy not a general crisis

Question 3

Lewis Minkin TU Control

Answer 3

Trade Unions don’t control the Labour party, their influence is in the background

Question 4

Colin Hay Myth 1 of Winter of Discontent

Answer 4

WoD as evidence of the political power TUs held by the late 1970s

Question 5

David Coates

Answer 5

WoD actually a story of union weakness > strength. They only had the power to choose between two evils

Question 6

Hay Myth 2 of Winter of Discontent

Answer 6

WoD shows the organisational strength of unions
ACTUALLY they were highly decentralised with negotiations at a local level.
In 1979, the TUC had little control over Union Leaders and Union Leaders had little control over members

Question 7

Hay Myth 3 of Winter of Discontent

Answer 7

WoD as a story of public sector Trade Union power only

ACTUALLY the private sector wage discussions start earlier

Question 8

Colin Hay Winter of Discontent Economics

Answer 8

The 1970s as a rise and attempted management of a condition of simultaneous rising inflation and unemployment
Winter of Discontent did mark the end of Keynsianism but they weren’t related
The switch from Keynsianism to monetarism was post-1979

Question 9

Tory Winter of Discontent Narrative

Answer 9

The Unions were running the country, Keynsianism was at an end and the overburdened state couldn’t cope

Question 10

Labour Winter of Discontent Narrative

Answer 10

The Labour government were the best to work with the Trade Unions. Will try and win them back (not strong)

Question 11

IMF 1976 Policies

Answer 11

Monetarist Orientated- Cutting public sector debt, public sector borrowing requirements and public expenditure curbs

Question 12

Gallup Poll on Incomes Policy

Answer 12

The Policy was not unpopular in a poll just after Ford- 2/3 support

Question 13

Colin Hay and Regionality

Answer 13

The decentralised Trade Unions couldn’t deliver and maintain wage restraint

Question 14

Hay Historical Context of Winter of Discontent

Answer 14

The Winter of Discontent is not so bad when compared historically.
In 1978 27m working days were lost
In 1924 400m working days were lost

Question 15

John McIlroy

Answer 15

Trade Unions weren’t transformative or anti-capitalist. They just wanted the best for their members within the existing societal structures

Question 16

Karl Marx

Answer 16

Trade Unions as a threat to capitalism

Question 17

Herbert Kitschelt

Answer 17

‘Unions control model’ The Unions controlled Labour as they were major financiers

Question 18

Lewis Minkin

Answer 18

Restrain governed the Labour- Trade Union relationship because they played by the unofficial “rules”

Question 19

Eric Shaw

Answer 19

The Trade Union role is to act as a loyal base for the Labour Party