unionism and cooperation Flashcards
Trade union definition?
individual workers from the same trade or industry binding together as one force
Knobstick definition?
workers who refused to strike due to financial reasons
Why did the growth of trade unions see a rise in Militancy?
workers were more organised and, having established a strike fund as a part of membership, could afford to resort to militancy
When was the combination acts repealed?
1824
What was a direct consequence of the combination act repeal?
emergence of a more well-defined trade unionism by the later 1820s and in 1834 a general trades union was established, a high point in the history of the movement.
How many members did the grand national have?
over 1 million
Which union was the most successful one before 1834?
the grand national
Where were the major strikes by cotton spinners, what year?
Lancashire, 1810 and 1818
How long did the 1810 strike last?
4 months
Which industries did the 1818 strike spread too?
Colliers and machine makers, who threatened a nationwide stoppage
How was the 1818 strike brought to an end?
5 members were arrested
What would employers use due to the Grand National
the document-which had to be signed workers to state they were not members of a union and could not join one
What was a failure of the trade unions?
they were not unified, couldn’t stand up to employees with just one voice. remained varied and independent. only cared about their own trade. poor leadership
What else is a reason for failure of the grand national?
The grand national had meagre funds available in spite of its subscription fees (although these were not always paid by members). Of the one million members (which may have been exaggerated), only 16,000 paid fees and this was not enough to support a national organisation and certainly not enough to cover the costs of striking workers.
When was the lack of funding first exposed?
first exposed in 1834 when 1500 mill workers in Derby were locked out their place of work for failing to leave their union. Despite lasting for four months (without pay) these mill workers eventually returned to work because they couldn’t survive and weren’t supported enough by the Grand National
What was the grand national like by 1835?
The grand by 1835 under the financial burden of having to provide for locked out members and the loss of fees from workers who renounced their membership
What was the opinion of the middle class towards the grand national?
The middle classes were often alarmed by the growth of unions and so moved to secure their workplaces against actions by their workers
What did the document give the employers?
the Document gave employers the power to sift out trade union members and secure obedience from the rest though the threat of unemployment. This practice was so effective that the Grand National collapsed
What was the governments response to trade unions?
Not allowed to join, if you do so, will be “thereof lawfully convicted” “Every man’s labour is property. The cotton spinners had their labour to sell or at least they though so”
What was a positive of the failures of the grand national?
the relative failures of unionism before 1834 led to lessons being learned. By 1850, new model unionism emerged as a much more effective form of the union movement
Which trade union was the most important and when was this trade union made?
The most important trade union to develop after 1850 was the Amalgamated society of Engineers (ASE) which was founded in 1851
How was the Amalgamated society of engineers created?
This was created by joining together three smaller independent unions- the Old Mechanics, the Steam Engine Makers’ Society and the General Smiths- was the beginning of New Model Unionism (NMU)
Why was the ASE created?
The ASE was created in reaction to industrialisation and, specifically, the growth of unskilled workers which concerned the skilled workers since there were so many workers available, wages were being forced down.
What did the ASE aim to do?
The ASE was created in reaction to industrialisation and, specifically, the growth of unskilled workers which concerned the skilled workers since there were so many workers available, wages were being forced down.
Why was the “New Model” unions set up?
The “new model” unions were mostly set up to protect these skilled workers leaving the semi-skilled and unskilled to look after themselves. Some historians have suggested that the growth of NMU, through groups such as ASE, created an “aristocracy of labour” which encouraged resentment between workers; that is those in the unions and those not.
Who led the ASE?
William Allan
Who was in charge of the ASE?
There was an Executive Council which was formally in charge. The general secretary managed the day-to-day affairs of the union and co-ordinated local branches
How did they fund the ASE?
Members of the union had to pay a fee which meant there was often enough to cover striking workers rather than traditional reliance on voluntary donations
Was the ASE well funded?
The skilled members of the union were often relatively well paid, and this enabled the ASE to generate considerable incomes- in 1852, this amounted to £12,000 p.a this enabled the union to look after their own members and support other smaller unions
How many members did the ASE have?
The ASE had a membership of 12,000 and this was achieved by gaining support from workers across the country (ignoring local boundaries such as towns or even single factories). There were ASE branches across the country from Lancashire to Scotland
What was one of the most influential actions of the ASE?
in 1859-60 when London builders went on strike to gain a nine-hour working day. The ASE gave three donations of £1000 to the builders’ strike fund which enabled them to hold out for six months. This forced a compromise from their employers
What was a limitation of the New Model union and the new national trade unions?
Individualism which prevented it from acting in 9 tricky united fashion. Small local unions. Still operated only in their trades not generally. Unskilled couldn’t afford it
What were the trade councils and why were they created?
A grouping of local trade unions from a given area that met together to promote the interest of their industry within that area, these were often city wide 100,000 members
What was the outcome of the Sheffield meeting?
They produced the United Kingdom alliance of organised trades-this collapsed. There was the Sheffield outrage 1866= which was a series of violent actions.
Why was the creation of an organisation overseeing unions seen as necessary?
People were stealing from the finds. There had often been disagreements over the manner to see workers’ rights
What was significance of the creation of the TUC and what actions did they take from 1868?
Genuinely universal mechanism for organisation of British Labour
What did the Trades Union Congress do in 1868?
Trade councils- city wide, grouping of local trade unions from a given geographical area that met together. NMU- New model unionism, paid membership developed larger unions by skilled workers.
Universal union if all trades and British labour skilled and unskilled unions combined, political focus.
What was the governments response to new unionism?
Government response to trade unionism before 1850 had been largely negative. The principle of free trade (and their policy of laissez faire) meant they sympathised with employers over workers, because they were generating so much income for the country
What changed the governments opinion?
The government began to change its opinion following the development of “new model” union from 1851. This was mainly due to the power of ASE and ASCJ which were on a larger scale than previous, movements and were well financed. Their methods were also more acceptable to the conservative establishment.
Who were the leaders of this union?
The leaders of the union, Robert Applegarth (ASCJ) ands William Allan (ASE) believed in negotiation rather than militancy which offered compromise and made them more likely to win over the government and employers
What was the governments response to Applegarth and Allan?
The government therefore began granting some limited reforms for workers as a result of their new position
Which act gave rights to workers who picketed peacefully during strikes but left the definition of peaceful persuasion’ to the governments careful and conservative reform, conceding some rights but retaining the power to imprison or act forcefully where necessary?
The molestation of Workmen Act, 1859
What would union members join to try and extend the franchise?
The Reform League
What did the 1867 reform act result in?
resulted in many skilled workers gaining the vote and reflected the work of the NMUs in influencing politics to make significant gains
What did the government think of all these trade unions?
Despite government reluctance to accept the new trade unions, those with political ambitions had to listen to them
What could workers who couldn’t vote do?
Whilst many workers still couldn’t vote, they could attend the public hustings and have influence over others who could vote. union backing of a candidate could have significant political influence since it could sway the decisions of voters. Employers could win favour by openly voting for a pro-union candidate.
