Unionism And Co-operation Flashcards
What is the definition of a trade union
Trade unions are groups of employees who join together to maintain and improve their conditions for employment. They often want better pay and better working conditions.
What is the definition of cooperative movement
- aims to promote the welfare of its members by working together in pursuit of mutual progress
- believed industries should be run and owned by the workers
- these were created because most business’s were allowed to run freely without interference due to its capitalist economic structure. This led to the working class being exploited as wage slaves. Many didn’t have the vote and so to improve their conditions they joined together in unions
What is the definition of knobsticks
A term to describe workers who wouldn’t go on strike as they wouldn’t get paid
What are the social causes of early trade unions
- a movement of workers form rural to city work made jobs hard to find. The workers changed jobs regularly and work was irregular
- people started working at the age of 9
- by the age of 11 people were working 6am-9pm
- workers were exploited and had poor pay. Often they weren’t paid enough for food and clothing
What are the political reasons for the causes of early trade unions
- first factory acts were only really applied to the textile industry
- workers were unprotected by the law
- workers were split into unskilled and skilled workers, with unskilled workers being mainly unprotected
- trade unions were banned in the 1799 combination acts
What are the economic reasons for the early trade unions
- Robert Owen and others saw the working class as wage slaves
- the working class were driving the economy of Britain and were exploited
- wages were poor
- there were no pensions and employees refused to pay for good working conditions as it reduced profits
-war with France 1773-1815. Rising food prices and cost of living
-factories allowed trade unions to grow as they were being exploited in the masses and were all together and so could communicate
Early examples of trade unions:
6 trade unions
- the stone masons society 1833: they had membership fees and provided wages to those out of work
- masters builders association: they wanted half a penny more pay and less work time
- 1853: cotton spinners strike failed to achieved what they wanted
- dock warf trade union: they stroked for better pay and less hours
- society of matchmakers: they stroked over the pay they were receiving
- national union of gas workers: wanted shortened working hours
Who were the tolpuddle martyrs 1834
- they were agricultural labourers who formed a friendly society as wages decrease from 10 shillings to 7.
- 6 martyrs, main martyr was George Loveless
- trade unions were banned so they formed a friendly society as these were legal.
- However, they were arrested for making an illegal oath of secrecy but it was really because they had formed a trade union to challenge their employer
- they were sentenced to 7 years transportation to Australia. But after the sentence a petition was handed out and got 800,000 signatures and in 1837 they were allowed back after being pardoned by lord Russel in 1836.
When was the friendly societies act and what was it
- 1793
- friendly societies now had to register with the local government and send updates of their activities every 3 months, create a set of rules, make constitutions, document meetings, and not challenge the government
- by 1803 8% of the population was part of a friendly society
When was the combination act and what was it
- 1799/1800
* made trade unions illegal under Pitt’s government
What was the main reason of the growth of trade unions from 1795-1834?
Factory system
*factories brought larger numbers of workers together and overcame some communication difficulties making collective organisation easier
* factories were dangerous workplaces in terms of unguarded machines and long working days so trade unions fought against this
* as factory employment came to dominate entire trades it led to the formation of general unions eg/ John Dohertys general spinners union
* communication was easier as most workers lived together or near each other and were always together in factories
. What was the main reason of the growth of trade unions from 1795-1834? Trade unions before
*Growth of trade unions before
Many unions started in the agricultural industry as the open field system stoped being used as upper and middle class people brought or took over land that locals relied on to produce products for themselves or to sell for an income. Land distribution took away land the poor relied on to survive
* this led to the swing riots in 1830 who were rioting due to their poor living conditions and insecurity of jobs, this rioting resulted in many people joining trade unions like the tolpuddle martyrs in 1834 who joined due to the decrease in wages in agriculture
What was the main reason of the growth of trade unions from 1795-1834?
War with France
*1815 war ended and 400,000 men came home jobless, they took whatever jobs they could which were usually poorly paid or were bad working conditions or joined trade unions to support their family
* £66 million was spent on the war, so the government raised taxes and cut wages
* increased taxes (income tax in 1799)
* rise of population after the war from 9 million in 1800 to 18.5 million in 1840. There were less jobs available and more mouths to feed. Meant there was also a growth in factories
* men had died in war so women/ children were left to look after their families on very poor pay
What were the impacts of growth of trade unions
Strikes: Lancashire in 1810 and 1818, workers were more organised
1810 lasted four months, 1818 spread to other industries, threatening nationwide stoppage
1834, general trades union was established – Grand National Consolidated Trades Union was the successful before 1834 with over a million members
Grand National Impact: showed United organisation of workers, solidarity / generated widespread use of ‘The Document’ by employers
The document: employers needed to secure their own position, so demanded employees signed a piece of paper denouncing their commitment to any union. Existing employees refusing to sign it were locked out of their job.
Document gave employers power to remove of union members and secure obedience throughout their business
Overall impact was negative for trade unionism and evidenced long way they still had to go
Trade unions were disadvantaged as they only focused on their issues rather than the bigger picture of all workers – due to traditional thinking and failure of grand national to support members who went on strike
GN relied on funds from subscriptions which were not payed, only 16,000 members paid, which was not enough to maintain the organisation
1834, 1500 mill workers in derby were locked out of place of work for failure to abandon their union due to the document.
1835 – GN collapsed under financial burden of supporting members locked out of their job and loss of fees from those who renounced their affiliation due to the document.
Government response to trade unions
-Broadly conservative interest
- Saw an initial rise in militancy as workers were organised and established a strike fund as part of the membership
- Prosperity was more achievable if regulation was kept to a minimum and people were left to their own devices
- The growth was seen as an obstacle to wealth creation
- Employers wanted to run their business unfettered by organised cries for workers’ rights
- Organised labour was seen as threatening by landowners
- The wage disputes were mistaken as a political attack on the government
- Government was wary towards trade unionism after 1825
- 1825 Amending Act allowed trade unions to negotiate wages and hours of work but weren’t allowed to ‘molestor obstruct, essentially not allowing them to strike potential ties to New Model Unionism’
- 1810 strike lasted more than 4 months the action spread to other industries
Government response to trade unions
-Government belief in laissez-faire meant that success and prosperity could only come through minimal regulation, meaning employers who were benefiting the economy should not have issues with their employment interfered with, however this interfering was only seen as interfering by supporting the strikers as it was seen as an obstacle to wealth creation.
- Organised labour was seen as threatening by landowners, while the government saw wage disputes as a political attack on them
- Tolpuddle martyrs sentenced to Australia only freed through public pressure. Home Secretary upheld the sentence of 7 years transportation to Tasmania
- 1799 and 1800 combination acts from William Pitt’s government made strike action illegal, however they were repealed in 1824 due to a lack of success thanks to new forms of communication such as the postal service allowing unions to contact each other despite legality issues.
- The Combination Acts were seen as a response to the events of the French Revolution, it could explain their introduction in 1799 and their repeal in 1824 after the threat had been diminished in 1815
- 1823 master and servant act, government makes it illegal for employees to not fulfil a contract of work punishable by imprisonment
- 1825 Amending Act allowed trade unions to negotiate wages and hours of work but weren’t allowed to ‘molest’ or ‘obstruct’, essentially not allowing them to strike (potential ties to New Model Unionism)
- 1813: Statute of Artificers repealed, removes power of JPs to control wages and gave the power to employers, government wanted to help employers
- 1859: Molestation of Workmen Act allowed peaceful picketing, but the definition of peaceful was left up to the courts.
- 1867: A Royal Commission is ordered to investigate what had led to the Sheffield Outrages (1866-1867) . The Commission procured two reports: a majority report supported legalisation of unions with some restrictions, the minority report supported full legalisation of unions with no restrictions. The new Liberal government favoured the minority report, resulting in the passing of the Trade Unions Act in 187
When was the statue of artificers repealed and what was it
1813
this law protected wages to some extent but was repealed by the government to give employers all the power
When was the second combination act and what was it
- 1824
after a long campaign by radical MPs , the combination acts were repealed and so trade unions could exist
