Trade Unions

Question 1

what was union membership before WW1

Answer 1

4 million

Question 2

what was union membership during WW1

Answer 2

6 million

Question 3

what was union membership after WW1 (1919)

Answer 3

8 million

Question 4

what impact did this increase in membership have on unions?

Answer 4

• strengthened them
• • gov depended on workers in key industries such as steel and engineering to win the war
• – put unions in a stronger bargaining position for higher wages and better conditions

Question 5

What was the triple alliance?

Answer 5

• National Transport Workers’ Union
• National Union of Railwaymen
• Miners’ federation
• • agreed to sympathy strike to support each other

Question 6

When was the triple alliance formed?

Answer 6

1914-15

Question 7

Why did ww1 improve conditions for the labouring classes?

Answer 7

• 5 million fighting overseas, those that remained were in a stronger bargaining position
• Asquith’s 1915 coalition included labour leader. Lloyd George included two more trade union leaders in 1916. Stronger voice in government
• nationalised industries put TU’s in direct contact with gov (as opposed to private owners)
• patriotism?

Question 8

who was the labour leader in Asquith’s 1915 coalition?

Answer 8

Arthur Henderson

Question 9

What was the role of the Trade Union Congress (TUC)?

Answer 9

• Administrative and organisational council to help unify the workers
• had no formal power but could speak up for different unions

Question 10

Why was there a wave of rent strikes in Glasgow 1915?

Answer 10

• Large numbers had moved to live in Glasgow to work in Shipyards during the war
• landlords exploited the increased demand by raising rents

Question 11

How many people took part in the rent strikes?

Answer 11

By Nov 1915 25,000 were involved (mostly women)

Question 12

What happened during the rent strikes?

Answer 12

• Tenants refused to pay increases in rent
• Bailiffs sent to collect rent were met with opposition
• Landlords’ houses were picketed

Question 13

Who supported the rent strikers?

Answer 13

-Employers in munitions factories and dockyards on the Clyde, who did not want to see their production affected.
(Threatened sympathy to strike action)

Question 14

What was the outcome of the Glasgow rent strike?

Answer 14

1915 - Lloyd George passed the Rent Restriction Act which guaranteed that rents would be fixed at pre-war levels

Question 15

Why was the glasgow rent strike significant?

Answer 15

Industrial militant protest in an area essential to wartime production won a considerable improvement in living conditions
- demonstrated the ability of unions to pressure gov

Question 16

Who was James Maxon?

Answer 16

• Scottish Socialist
• Member of ILP
• Became labour MP in 1922
• Excellent public speaker

Question 17

Who was Ernest Bevin?

Answer 17

• Founder and secretary of Transport and General workers Union in 1922
• During the general strike Bevin was in charge of co-ordinating the activities of the unions

Question 18

Who was Manny Shinwell?

Answer 18

Member of the ILP

Elected to parliment in 1922

Question 19

Who is James Thomas?

Answer 19

Leader of the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR)
labour MP from 1910 to 1936
reluctant to lead the NUR into the general strike

Question 20

What was the state of GB’s economy in 1920?

Answer 20

• found itself uncompetitive due to the higher wages and shorter hours won by TUs
• Business workers sought to reverse this

Question 21

How strog was the triple alliance in 1919?

Answer 21

Mixed
-Thomas negotiated with gov so wages were not severely reduced and wartime bonus wages continued in to peacetime
- gov refused to make bonuses permanent and he called a strike in Semester 1919
-gov panicked and deployed troops at major stations in London
(Not supported by Miners or transport workers)

Question 22

Why did PM Lloyd George establish the Sankey commission?

Answer 22

• wages had to be cut to make coal more competitive, but he wanted to avoid disputes.
• Set up Royal Commission under leadership of John Sankey to investigate coal industry (which prevented strikes 1919-21)
• BUT LG returned coal industry to private owners despite Sankey’s recommendation to keep it nationalised

Question 23

What was Black Friday 1921?

Answer 23

• during 1921 pay for coal miners fell by 30% so they striked
• neither of the other unions supported them
• forced by hunger to return to work
• collapse of triple alliance

Question 24

What measures did the government take to prepare for future industrial conflict?

Answer 24

• 1920 Emergency Powers Act
• feb 1919 Industrial Unrest Committee (later known as Supply and Transport Committee)
• • STC would recruit volunteers to replace striking labourers and oversee stockpiling of resources

Question 25

What did the 1920 Emergency Powers Act do?

Answer 25

• allowed gov to declare a national state of emergency in times of severe industrial arrest
• allows for quick passing of emergency legislation to regulate militancy

Question 26

How did Trade unions attempt to increase their strength?

Answer 26

-1921 General council of TUC formed, by 1924 had secured support of railwaymen and miners

-Two new unions emerged from Black Friday.
TGWU 1922
AEU 1920

Question 27

what was the TGWU?

Answer 27

Transport and general workers union

Question 28

What was the AEU?

Answer 28

Amalgamated Society of Engineers (builders, carpenters etc)