Trade Unions - timeline of events leading to the general strike

Question 1

How did the govt use the 9 month restbite

Answer 1

• the govt used the 9 month respite to effectively organise counter-strike measures overseen by the STC:
• resources were stockpiled and local networks of volunteers were established
• The Economic League, and the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) both recruited middle and upper class volunteers to keep public services running in the event of a strike
• By February 1926 the government believed it was ready to face a general strike, and troops were deployed to sensitive areas

Question 2

How did the TUC use the restbite

Answer 2

• The TUC however was completely inactive -
• the unions even temporarily refused to grant powers to the General Council to call an all-out strike and conduct negotiations.
• Clearly there was still a lack of trust, especially after Black Friday.
• trade unions were reluctant to prepare for a conflict which they did not want and believed they could not win
• James Thomas, who chaired the TUC committee dealing with the issue, believed the government would seek a peaceful solution and try to avoid a strike

Question 3

With the …………. due to run out on 1 May 1926, mine owners began to issue notices of …………

Answer 3

With the government subsidy due to run out on 1 May 1926, mine owners began to issue notices of new, lower wage rates

Question 4

Both the …………&……… rejected the findings of the Samuel Commission

Answer 4

Both the miners’ union (MFGB) and the mine owners rejected the findings of the Samuel Commission

Question 5

What was the Samuel Commission

Answer 5

• Samuel Commission - set up by PM Baldwin in July 1925, to provide a long-term solution to the crisis in the coal industry:
• temporary reduction of wage levels by 13.5%
• the end of the govt subsidy
• the amalgamation of smaller mines
• national wage agreements
• & the sharing of profits between miners and owners

Question 6

How did the TUC act in the time following the Samuel Commission’s recomendations

Answer 6

• At this stage the TUC called for continued negotiations based upon the Commission’s recommendations

Question 7

What can be seen as the trigger for strike action initially in 1926

Answer 7

• This impasse between the two sides was evident when owners locked out miners on April 29th 1926 who refused to accept wage reductions of between 10 and 25%
• The TUC, now with the power to coordinate strike action, responded by calling on unions to unite

Question 8

When was the call for a general strike first made

Answer 8

• first made in response to the OMS who widely distributed posters looking for recruits
• In response, on May 1st 1926 the TUC voted for a general strike in sympathy of the miners to begin on May 3rd 1926

Question 9

Why did Baldwin’s government stop mehotiations with the TUC

Answer 9

• Next Stanley Baldwin’s government stopped negotiating with the TUC when print workers refused to print a pro-government editorial in the Daily Mail which labelled the miners as ‘revolutionary’
• The government saw this as an attack by the unions on freedom of the press and a clearly political decision, not one caused by industrial dispute with employers
• Although the TUC apologised for the Daily Mail, the negotiations ended and a general strike was called to start on 4th May 1926

Question 10

How did the General Strike become unavoidable

Answer 10

• Baldwin, under pressure from anti-trade union Conservatives, was unable to back down and repeat the embarrassment of Red Friday;
• equally the TUC could not climb down and risk a repeat of Black Friday
• This made the General Strike became unavoidable

Question 11

Why is the scale of the strike impressive

Answer 11

• The TUC had no concrete plans on how to support the miners should a strike be necessary
• Despite this, when the strike was called on 4th May 1926, they still managed to call out over 1.5 millions workers - in addition to the million miners
• What occurred was therefore a large-scale nine-day general strike in which workers in many trades across Britain went on strike in support of the miners

Question 12

What was impressive about the solidarity shown, and the slight discrepancy

Answer 12

• This solidarity among workers in other industries was impressive
• Ernest Bevin and the Strike Organising Committee took charge of the distribution of food and maintenance of health services
• There was a huge variance in the effectiveness of local strike committees