Unionism and Cooperation Flashcards
What is a trade union?
A worker’s organisation which helps its members
Name 2 reasons why people join trade unions.
Wages, rights, pensions, benefits, solidarity
What did employers make employees sign in the 1820s and 1830s to stop them joining a trade union?
The Document
What did the Combination Acts stop?
Setting up a trade union
When were the Combination Acts passed?
1799/1800
Which prime minister was in power when the Combination Acts were passed?
William Pitt
What did the Friendly Societies Act of 1793 demand of Friendly Societies? Give 2 points.
Register with JP, rules, constitution, lodge documentation, updates, etc
Which law was used against the Tollpuddle Martyrs?
Illegal oaths Act 1797
What county is Tolpuddle in?
Dorset
When did the Tolpuddle Martyrs case occur?
1834
How many Tolpuddle Martyrs were there?
6
Who was the main Tolpuddle martyr?
George Loveless
Why did the Tolpuddle Martyrs form a union?
Because they were being paid only 6 shillings a weeks when the average wage was 10.
In what year were the Combination Acts repealed?
1824
What happened to the Tolpuddle Martyrs?
Transported to Australia
When were the Tolpuddle Martyrs pardoned?
1836
What did the Amending Act of 1825 do?
Made is difficult to strike
When was the National Union of Cotton Spinners founded by John Doherty?
1829
Give 2 reasons why the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union failed in 1834.
The Document, Whig opposition, lack of support from 4 biggest unions, communications, funding
Who founded the GNCTU?
Robert Owen
What is capitalism?
Pursuit of profit from private ownership of business
What was a ‘knobstick’?
Strike breaker
What does the term ‘Laissez faire’ mean and to what does it refer?
Governments leaving things to sort themselves out in economic matters
What is a closed shop?
A workplace where everyone has to join a trade union
What is the definition of an artisan?
A skilled worker/tradesman
Which unions joined together in 1851 to form the Amalgamated Society of Engineers?
Old Mechanics, Steam Engine Makers’ Society and the General Smiths
Name 2 characteristics of New Model Unionism?
Skilled workers, small unions joining together to create a large one, used negotiation rather than militancy, respect and moderation
What was the idea of an ‘aristocracy of labour’ as described by the Webbs?
The division of skilled/unskilled labour/hierachy of labour.
Why was the ASE successful where the GNCTU had failed? Give 3 reasons.
Leadership of William Allan, rigid admin system, paid general secretary, elected executive council, membership tax rather than voluntary contributions.
What role did the ASE take in the London builders dispute and when was it?
1859-60, the London builders on strike wanting reduction to 9 hour day, ASE gave 3 donations of 1,000 to strike fund to give them the chance to hold out for 6 months and made the employers compromise.
Co-operative movement
Organisation whose primary aim is to promote the welfare of its members by working together in pursuit of mutual progress rather than for big individual profit
Journeyman
A person who has completed an apprenticeship but not yet a master of his trade
Trade societies
Had existed as early as the 17th century but were mostly concerned with protecting the skilled trades rather than all the working people
Social reasons for growth of trade unions
. Poor working conditions
. Workers gathered in one place - sense of purpose
. Growth of trade
. Natural progress that mirrored the growing powers of employers
Why did the factory system expand?
Reluctance of the national government to interfere in the way entrepreneurs and business owners managed their business
How did the government cause the growth of unions?
Allowed owners to do as they wished resulting in the exploitation of workers
How did the free trade mentality cause the growth of unions?
Workers needed to protect themselves against workers who had a free hand setting wages and conditions
Why were employers against trade unions?
. Costly
. Had to pay decent wages and provide good working conditions
Friendly society was a mutual association for the purposes of…
Insurance, pensions, savings or cooperative banking
By 1803 how many of England’s population were a member of a friendly society?
8%
1823 Master and Servant Act
Government make it illegal to not fulfill a contract of work punishable by imprisonment
When was the Amending Act passed?
1825
1829 National Union of Cotton Spinners
Founded by John Doherty - first effective national union in a single trade gaining massive support but died out by 1834
1830 National Association for the Protection of Labour
. Following the success of the NUCS, Doherty founded this union
. Had the support of 150 trade unions in the North and Midlands
. NUCS and NAPL died out by 1834 due to cash shortages and lack of co-ordination
1833 Grand National Consolidated Trades Union
. Over 500,000 members within weeks of it setting up
. Very organised with a grand council
. Fees of 1 shilling/year
. The GNCTU had died by 1834 due to massive opposition from employers
1834 Tolpuddle Martyrs - what did they do?
Set up a Friendly Union of Agricultural Workers in the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset
Punishment of the Tolpuddle Martyrs
Sentence of 7 years transportation to Tasmania
What happened to many unions after the Tolpuddle Martyrs
In the face of such a response from the government many trade unionists were put off and this led to the collapse of many national unions such as the GNCTU
What did landowners want to stamp out?
Protests after the Swing Rebellion and French Revolution
Who was the local landlord of the Tolpuddle Martyrs?
James Frampton - he charged the martyrs
What was the trial like of the Tolpuddle Martyrs?
Unjust as the trial was only 2 days and all male landowning jury had reason to convict them
When were the Tolpuddle Martyrs pardoned and who pardoned them and why?
1836 by Lord Russel as Home Secretary because 800,000 signed petitions and there were rallies around the country
French Revolution and trade unions
Caused the government to become more against them
What did the French Revolution cloud?
Rational thinking - thought wage disputes wre an attack on the government
How were the combination acts executed?
Poorly with few individuals prosecuted because older measures such as the 1797 Unlawful Oaths Act carried a harsher sentence
After what event were the combination acts ignored?
End of the Napoleonic wars
What do the repeal of the combination acts show?
A more enlightened government
Who were the more open minded and thoughtful MPS we what did they do?
Robert Peel and Jospeh Hume who was more sympathetic to the rights of the workers
How much had GNP risen by since the last century and what did this mean?
16.8% - government could afford to be more sympathetic
Between 1857 and 1875 how many persecutions where there in England and Wales?
10,000
What problems were the unions trying to solve?
. Create a more forceful voice to seek protection
. More concentrated protection
. Achieve it a common aim
. Better working conditions and wages
. Lessen divide between worker + employee
What were unions seen as an obstacle to?
Wealth creation
Weaknesses of large unions
. Lack of coordination
. Opposition from employers
. Subscription fees went unpaid
. Increased use of the ‘document’
Weakness of early unions
. Members arrested
. Lack of coordination
. Cash shortages
. Unable to establish property
. Unions before 1832 were illegal
Why did government reactions soften in the 1820s towards unions?
. Fear of revolution
. More enlightened view
. More liberal attitude
. Economic prosperity
Whereabouts did the government not soften regarding trade unions?
. Rural areas
. Workers had more of a personal direct relationship with their landowners unlike urban areas
. Threatened aristocracy in parliament
How many branches did the Association of Weavers have in 1799 and where?
14 branches in Lancashire
What did unions start to do after the war with France?
Rach out to each other to secure a greater hand with which to negotiate on their behalf
When was there an effort to create a general union of unions
1818
What were the first ‘Union of unions’?
. ‘Philanthropic Herculese’ in London
. ‘Philanthropic Society’ in Lancashire
What happened to ‘Union of unions’ groups?
Efforts were short lived and ended after leaders were arrested due to strikes
What were the problems which union formation tried to solve for the working class? (8 points)
. Exploitation
. Wages
. Working conditions
. Mechanisation
. No autonomy
. Conflicting interests between workers and owners
. Laissez faire
. War with France - rising food cost
Why did population growth make strikes harder?
Replacement labour
Out of 1 million supposed members how many pay fees?
16,000
What had trade unions achieved in 1875?
Full legal recognition but mainly for skilled workers
Who brought in the Criminal Law Amendment Act and when and what did it do?
1871 by Gladstone’s liberal government which made picketing illegal - strike ineffective
1875 Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act
Made peaceful picketing legal
1871 trade union act
Gladstone’s liberal government recognised unions as legal bodies with the right to strike and protect their funds
What did the Royal Commission found in 1868-69?
Found in favour of trade unions, that they were not on the whole violent and their funds should be protected
What did the success of the ASE force other unions to understand?
What made them successful, they realised localised unions were not the way forward so copied ASE’s national approach
Who did the ASE form a relationship with?
The liberal party - first time unions and parties had a relationship
What was formed in 1860?
London Trades Council
What does ASE stand for?
Amalgamated Society of Engineers
When was ASE established?
1851
Why was the ASE established?
Due to growth in unskiled labour and in an attempt to protect the rights of sklled labourers.
What was the positive of the ASE?
Gave the movement more of a sense of direction
What was the negative of the ASE?
. Created a divide between the workers themselves (unskilled were left to fend for themselves)
. Created aristocracy of labour
. Lead to resentment amongst semi/unskilled towards the skilled
Who was William Allen?
. ASE General Secretary
. In charge of day to day affairs at the union
What did members of the ASE have to pay?
A strike level, members could afford this as they were better paid
What was the ASE strike fund in 1852?
£12,000
Why was ASE not attractive to smaller, less skilled unions?
. Did not have nationwide spread
. Lacked expertise of the ASE
How many members did the TU movement have by 1874?
Over 1 million members
ASE vs Grand National
ASE more organised
London trades council
Formed in 1860 to represent the working people of London
Samuel Nicholson
. President of the Manchester and Salford Trades Council
. Convening a general trades congress in June 1868
. Foundation of TUC
Why was the TUC congress successful?
Skilled and unskilled unions out aside their differences
Which court case effectively banned unions?
Hornby v Close 1867
What did the TUC become after the second reform act?
Became more ambitious
What role did unions adopt in 1969?
A more political role by creating a working man’s party
Labour Representation League
Send working men to parliament
New unions vs old unions
New unions were better financed, better organised, more respectable and national in scale
1859 Molestation of Workmen Act
Gave rights to those who wanted to picket peacefully
Why did the government need to listen to unions?
To stop unrest at home to maintain their empire
What were governments prepared to do for unions?
Amend existing legislation rather than pass completely new laws and ultimately nothing changed of any significance
When was the Trade Union Act passed and what did it do?
1871 - fully legalised trade unions
