Trade Unions: Grand National vs NMUs vs TUC

Question 1

NMUs: What was the ASE and when was it founded?

Answer 1

Amalgamated Society of Engineers founded in 1851

Question 2

NMUs: Who founded the ASE and how many members did it have?

Answer 2

William Allen - 12,000 members from Lancashire to Scotland.

Question 3

NMUs: What was a success of the ASE?

Answer 3

A Builders strike in London between 1859 and 1860 supported by £1000 from the ASE. Lasted 6 months.

Question 4

NMUs: What was the ASCJ and when was it founded?

Answer 4

Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners founded in June 1860

Question 5

NMUs: Who led the ASCJ and how many members did it have?

Answer 5

Robert Applegarth - 10,000 members by 1871

Question 6

Grand National: What was the Grand national?

Answer 6

An 1834 network of multiple Trade Unions merged into one large union.

Question 7

Grand National: How many members did it have?

Answer 7

1 million

Question 8

Grand National: How many people actually paid the subscription fees of the Grand National?

Answer 8

16,000 out of the 1 million

Question 9

Grand National: What is a strike that the Grand National failed to support?

Answer 9

1834 - 1500 mill workers in Derby were locked out of their workplace for failing to leave their union, only sustained strike for 4 months.

Question 10

Grand National: What was created that made joining a union mean it was almost impossible to find work

Answer 10

‘The Document’ employment contract that if signed meant the person was not part of a union.

Question 11

Early Unionism: What were the two unions in 1818?

Answer 11

1818 Philanthropic Hercules in London and the Philanthropic Society in Lancashire

Question 12

Early Unionism: What was John Doherty’s more successful early union?

Answer 12

John Doherty’s 1829 Grand General Union of Operative Spinners of GB and Ireland

Question 13

Early Unionism: What is a non union based example of early collective action?

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Trade Councils: What was a Trades Council?

Answer 14

Grouping of local trade unions from a geographical area that met together to promote the interests of the industries in that area.

Question 15

Trade Councils: When was the London Trades Council (LTC) formed and what were it’s aims?

Answer 15

1860 LTC - sought to represent the workers of London.

Question 16

Trade Councils: Who lead the LTC?

Answer 16

leaders of the Amalgamated unions i.e. Robert Applegarth, William Allen and Charles Coulson of the Bricklayers.

Question 17

Trade Councils: How many members had the LTC gathered by 1866?

Answer 17

by 1866 - 100,000 affiliates.

Question 18

Trade Councils: What was the general principal of a trades council?

Answer 18

Frustration at the dominance of the NMUs - support small unions and non skilled workers.

Question 19

TUC: What was the important meeting that the Trades Councils consolidated at?

Answer 19

Sheffield Meeting 1866 arranged by Dronfield - produced the UK Alliance for Organised Trades (collapsed in 1867 - a failed TUC).

Question 20

TUC: When was the meeting that Ultimately lead to the creation of the TUC - headed by members of trade councils?

Answer 20

June 1868 - 118,000 members represented by 34 delegates.

Question 21

TUC: What was the main aim of the TUC?

Answer 21

To form a genuinely universal mechanism for the organisation of British labour - promote needs of the Working Class under one voice.