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Mr Silverman - History > Trade Unions - Why was there a General Strike in 1926? > Flashcards

Trade Unions - Why was there a General Strike in 1926? Flashcards

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1
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened in June 1925

A
  • Coal mine owners move to cut miners wages
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2
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened on the 31st July

A

The ‘Red Friday’ government subsidy granted to support coal miners’ wages

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3
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened in March 1926

A
  • Samuel Commissions report rejected by miners & mine owners
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4
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened on April 29th 1926

A
  • Mine owners lock out miners for refusing wage cuts
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5
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened on 1st May 1926

A

TUC votes for a general strike in support of the miners

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6
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened May 3rd 1926

A

General Strike begins at 23.59

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7
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened on 11th May 1926

A

Samuel Memorandum’ rejected

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8
Q

General Strike Timeline

What happened on 12th May 1926

A

TUC calls off General Strike

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9
Q

Between 1921 and 1926, trade union militancy …….. following the collapse of the ………

A
  • declined
  • Triple Alliance
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10
Q
  • However, throughout 1925, tensions in the coal-mining industry meant that …..
  • This time, however, the ………………… were determined to avoid a repeat of Black Friday.
  • By the spring of 1926, an all-out …… was called by the …….
  • Yet this militancy completely ……… to influence the government.
A
  • However, throughout 1925, tensions in the coal-mining industry meant that the industry was once again in confrontation with the government
  • This time, however, the railway and transport unions were determined to avoid a repeat of Black Friday.
  • By the spring of 1926, an all-out strike was called by the central TUC
  • Yet this militancy completely failed to influence the government.
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11
Q

What are the 6 reasons why there was a General Strike in 1926

A
  • Economic Depression - return of Gold Standard
  • TUC desire to reassert control
  • Government Policy
  • Problems in coal industry
  • Miner’s Union
  • Mine-owners determination to maintain profits
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12
Q

How can it be argued that the mineowners are responsible for the general strike

A
  • Determination to maintain profits —>
  • arguably responsible for the falling wages and subsequent industrial strife,
  • all of which could have been avoided had they invested in developing the mines and modernising production techniques so as to be able to compete with productivity in other countries
  • (NB - this still supports the view that miners were key, but suggests any ‘blame’ should not lie with the unions)
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13
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

Powerful - significance within the workforce

A
  • Miners were a significant part of the workforce -
  • over a million in total, over 10% of the entire male workforce were miners
  • Historically comparatively well paid (reflecting unpleasant / dangerous)
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14
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

How long had miners been upset for

A
  • Miners’ discontent had been building up over several years -
  • Miners’ union (MFGB) threatens strikes during WW1 over employment of non-unionised miners whilst union members were tunnelling on the Western Front,
  • threats again in 1919 over pay and hours and the Sankey Commission and the betrayal of Lloyd George over denationalisation
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15
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

Describe how declining wages and rising incentivised a strike

A
  • 1920s saw declining wages and rising unemployment -
  • this was connected to falling demand for coal (which started during the war when countries had to find other sources for good previously supplied from Britain)
  • Also the result of old and outdated mines which lowered productivity thereby increasing price of coal unless mine-owners cut wages
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16
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

How did Black Friday grow the workers resentment

A
  • miners went on strike for higher wages in March 1920 and the Triple Alliance ensured they were joined by railwaymen and transport workers.
  • govt agreed to a six-month wage increase —> postponed the dispute
  • When the mines were returned to private hands wages were lowered again and strikes returned.
  • Black Friday = leaders of the NUR (JH Thomas) and NTWF (Robert Williams) called off their strikes in support,
  • leaving miners to fight alone for 10 weeks until hunger forced them back to work on lower wages
17
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

What happened in June-July 1925 to aggravate the miners further

A
  • June 1925 miners wages cut 10%, sparking TUC action
  • 31 July = ‘Red Friday’ Baldwin agreed a temporary subsidy (similar to 1921, gives Government time to prepare)
  • and an investigation: the Samuel Commission
18
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

How did the General strike summount on 1 May to 3rd

A
  • 1 May new pay notices are released
  • TUC backs miners,
  • although some union leaders reluctant to strike (Thomas / NUR), they do strike
  • Strike begins on 3rd May
19
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

Divisions existed between the miners union and the TUC as to…

A

Divisions existed between the miners union and the TUC as to what a reasonable compromise entailed

20
Q

Miner’s Union was responsible for the General Strike?

What was included in the Samuel Commission, March 1926

A
  • Recommendations published in March 1926:
  • (i) reorganise coal industry (amalgamate small mines)
  • (ii) end government subsidy
  • (iii) same hours but lower pay
  • (iv) maintain national wage agreements (this one was a concession to the unions against the owners who wanted local agreements which could divide the unions)
21
Q

How can it be argued that the Economic Depression - return of Gold Standard is why there was a general strike in 1926

A
  • Partly economic policy - return to the Gold Standard (Churchill) to stabilise the economy, lower debt, stop inflation and boost finance in London
  • Prices fell —> lower wages —> increased unemployment
  • all worsened by the strong pound—>huge fall in exports
22
Q

Whose responsibility does the changing economic policy come under

A
  • the government
23
Q

What evidence is there, besides economic policy, that the government were responsible for the general strike
-Industrial relations CHANGING

A
  • WW1 - Changing industrial relations also brought about by the war
  • Strong evidence that the Govt was keen to exploit any opportunity to reduce union power
  • 1921 - temporary pay increase allowed them to pass the Emergency Powers Act which enhanced their prospects of putting down strikes
24
Q

What evidence is there, besides economic policy, that the government were responsible for the general strike
-Industrial relations - preparation for strike

A
  • Similarly in 1926, the Samuel Commission bought Baldwin time to stockpile resources such as coal and make links with haulage companies to enable continued transportation in the event of a strike.
25
Q

What evidence is there, besides economic policy, that the government were responsible for the general strike
-Industrial relations - THE GOVT PROVOKED IT?

A
  • Maybe Baldwin tried to avoid provoking violence and kept Winston Churchill, the most aggressive member of the Cabinet, out of the day-to-day running of the dispute by putting him in charge of the British Gazette
  • BUT it did propose the unions has a revoltionary threat - some in govt wanted showdown with unions, deliberately provoked?
26
Q

What evidence is there, besides economic policy, that the government were responsible for the general strike
-stopping talks

A
  • The Government chose to break off talks with the TUC - citing interference with the press as a justification,
  • but did this really threaten them sufficently? not revolutionary
27
Q

TUC desire to reassert control is why there was a general strike in 1926

  • After Black Friday, the TUC formed
A

…a General Council to resolve inter-union disputes, which gave it the potential to coordinate strike action

28
Q

TUC desire to reassert control is why there was a general strike in 1926

The General Council leaders (e.g. Walter Citrine) were crucial in…

A
  • ensuring support for the miners
29
Q

TUC desire to reassert control is why there was a general strike in 1926

  • The strike was actually provoked partly by….
A
  • printworkers at the Daily Mail refused to set up anti-union editorial on
30
Q

How can it be argued that problems in the coal industry is why there was a general strike in 1926

A
  • Connected to falling demand for British goods
  • as former trade partners had found cheaper sources for produce when British exports fell between 1914-18
  • More rivals for exports from other countries - USA, Poland and Germany(FROM 1924)
  • Link to government policy too (Gold Standard)

Mr Silverman - History (30 decks)

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