Trade Unions: Grand National vs NMUs vs TUC Flashcards
NMUs: What was the ASE and when was it founded?
Amalgamated Society of Engineers founded in 1851
NMUs: Who founded the ASE and how many members did it have?
William Allen - 12,000 members from Lancashire to Scotland.
NMUs: What was a success of the ASE?
A Builders strike in London between 1859 and 1860 supported by £1000 from the ASE. Lasted 6 months.
NMUs: What was the ASCJ and when was it founded?
Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners founded in June 1860
NMUs: Who led the ASCJ and how many members did it have?
Robert Applegarth - 10,000 members by 1871
Grand National: What was the Grand national?
An 1834 network of multiple Trade Unions merged into one large union.
Grand National: How many members did it have?
1 million
Grand National: How many people actually paid the subscription fees of the Grand National?
16,000 out of the 1 million
Grand National: What is a strike that the Grand National failed to support?
1834 - 1500 mill workers in Derby were locked out of their workplace for failing to leave their union, only sustained strike for 4 months.
Grand National: What was created that made joining a union mean it was almost impossible to find work
‘The Document’ employment contract that if signed meant the person was not part of a union.
Early Unionism: What were the two unions in 1818?
1818 Philanthropic Hercules in London and the Philanthropic Society in Lancashire
Early Unionism: What was John Doherty’s more successful early union?
John Doherty’s 1829 Grand General Union of Operative Spinners of GB and Ireland
Early Unionism: What is a non union based example of early collective action?
The Tolpuddle Martyrs - George Loveless and his Family, transported for breaking Unlawful Oath act. 800,000 signed a petition to aid them but the wide support was only short term & focused.
Trade Councils: What was a Trades Council?
Grouping of local trade unions from a geographical area that met together to promote the interests of the industries in that area.
Trade Councils: When was the London Trades Council (LTC) formed and what were it’s aims?
1860 LTC - sought to represent the workers of London.
Trade Councils: Who lead the LTC?
leaders of the Amalgamated unions i.e. Robert Applegarth, William Allen and Charles Coulson of the Bricklayers.
Trade Councils: How many members had the LTC gathered by 1866?
by 1866 - 100,000 affiliates.
Trade Councils: What was the general principal of a trades council?
Frustration at the dominance of the NMUs - support small unions and non skilled workers.
TUC: What was the important meeting that the Trades Councils consolidated at?
Sheffield Meeting 1866 arranged by Dronfield - produced the UK Alliance for Organised Trades (collapsed in 1867 - a failed TUC).
TUC: When was the meeting that Ultimately lead to the creation of the TUC - headed by members of trade councils?
June 1868 - 118,000 members represented by 34 delegates.
TUC: What was the main aim of the TUC?
To form a genuinely universal mechanism for the organisation of British labour - promote needs of the Working Class under one voice.
