TU Flashcards
1
Q
1915
A
- Dominated by War
- Britain was a leading industrial power
- Labourers were poorly paid and worked in terrible conditions
2
Q
What needed to improve in 1915
A
- Protected Holiday
- Safety conditions
- Right violations
- Minimum wage
- maximum working hours
3
Q
Ernest Bevin
A
- Van driver
- Elected to the national Transport Workers federation in 1916
- Realised NTWF would need to work with coal and railways unions to win workers improved pay and conditions
4
Q
J H Thomas
A
- Driver for GWR
- Labour
- 1911 Oversaw National Rail strikes
- Created the National union of railway men in 1913 and elected leader in 1916
- Worked with PM loyd George on stopping illegal strikes
5
Q
The triple alliance
A
- 1913 the Miners Federation of Great Britain united the NUR and NTWF to form a triple alliance
- Supported war efforts
- Wanted to work alongside the gov
6
Q
Glasgow 1915
A
- Port City
- Worshops located on the river Clyde
- Had a reputation for trade union action
- Red clydeside movement was lead by James Paxton and Manny Shinwell
7
Q
Glasgow Rent Strike 1915
A
- Rent Prices increased
- Glasgow Womens association encouraged people to stop paying there rent
- Lasted a year
- Gov passed the rents and mortgage interest restriction act - Restricted rent and mortgage prices to a pre war level
8
Q
40 Hour Strike
A
- 1919
- Demobilisation lead to a huge surplus of labour
- Joint Strike coalition of Glasgow calculated that a solution of the crisis would be to cap the amount of hours someone could work up to 40 hours per week
- A general strike was agreed
- Agitation on clydeside made the gov fear the worst (Fear of rev like in Russia)
- Gov dispatched troops and tanks to monitor the situation
- Battle of George square a riot broke out
9
Q
Change in attitude
A
- 40 hour strike marked a transition
- Protesters realised they could create political change
- A red flag was a symbol of this
- Created wide spread fear of revolution
10
Q
Introduction of Nationalisation
A
- In oder to keep supplying the war the gov nationalised industries
- Which was a catalyst for workers to fight for better working conditions as they could go straight to the gov
- After war gov and business owners wanted the return of private ownership, was heavily opposed by trade unions
11
Q
Sankey commission
A
- 1919
- A commission specifically to decide if the coal industry should remain nationalised or not
- Lead by John Sankey
- Recommended that the coal industry remained nationalised
12
Q
Privatisation of the Mines
A
- March 1920 - miners revived the triple alliance in response to the liberals privatising the industry
- Needed to work together
- October Miners went on strike for higher wages suppourted by the NUF and the NTWF made it a threat to the gov
13
Q
Gov response to the privatisation of the mines
A
- Emergency powers act passed 1920 - allowed parliament to deploy troops to protect law ( was never used)
- 6 month wage increase agreed
- 31st of March privatisation began new owners cut wages
- waged fell by 30%
- Another strike agrees
14
Q
Black Friday 1921
A
- New Strike
- Gov tried to talk with them but the miners didn’t.
- Thomas said to talk with gov they said now again
- Thomas and the NTWF cancelled supporting the strikes
- The miners fought for 10 weeks until hunger forced them to return to work on reduced wages
15
Q
Consequences of Black Friday
A
- strikes declined following
- Convinced the TUC needed to look over operations
- General council created
