Unionism and Cooperation Flashcards

1
Q

Define trade unions

A

Group of workers who formed societies in the same trade or industry, to prevent themselves being exploited and demand workers rights

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2
Q

Define knobsticks

A

Derogatory term for a worker, often an immigrant who was not part of a trade union, and refused to strike. Often caused by financial reasons

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3
Q

What were early trade societies?

A

-Provided basic protection to members
-Often skilled tradesmen who wanted to protect their wages and trade from the increasing unskilled population

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3
Q

What were early trade societies?

A

-Provided basic protection to members
-Often skilled tradesmen who wanted to protect their wages and trade from the increasing unskilled population

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4
Q

What methods did the early trade societies practise?

A

‘Closed shop’ methods which meant jobs were only given to members of a union - regulated entry

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5
Q

When did the London Printers petition their masters? How many signatures did they get? Outcome?

A

1793
593 signatures
Successfully negotiated an increase in wages

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6
Q

3 reasons for the increase in trade societies?

A
  • Increased industrialisation had taken away choice of working hours +conditions
    -Laissez-faire allowed businessmen to exploit workers
    -Collective action over smaller action
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7
Q

When were there major cotton strikes in Lancashire?

A

1810 and 1818

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8
Q

How long did the 1810 strike in Lancashire last?

A

4 months

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9
Q

What was the Grand National, and when was it formed?

A

General trade union which consolidated trade unions
1834

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10
Q

How many members did the Grand National have?

A

1 million

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11
Q

What was introduced by employers to work against the Grand National?

A

‘The Document’
Had to be signed by workers to state they were not in a trade union and could not join one

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12
Q

How many of the Grand National members actually paid their fees?

A

16 000

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13
Q

Example of a failed strike under support of the Grand National?

A

1834 1500 Derby mill workers locked out of work due to failing to leave their union. Lasted 4 months without pay but had to return due to a lack of funding and support to continue

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14
Q

When did the Grand National fail?

A

1835

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14
Q

When did the Grand National fail?

A

1835

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15
Q

How much lower were food prices after 1820?

A

1/3

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16
Q

How much did GNP rise by after 1820?

A

16.8%

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17
Q

How many prosecutions annually between 1857-75 due to the Master and Servant Act?

A

10 000

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18
Q

How much were average wages a week for workers?

A

12-15 shillings - often lower

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19
Q

How did the factory system cause a growth in trade unions?

A

Created a divide between worker and master with no mutual progress - workers felt alienated and grouped together to balance the power of masters

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20
Q

When was the Unlawful Oaths Act? What did it do?

A

1797
Gave harsher sentences to reduce the perceived radical nature of trade unions and workers discontent - mor than 3 month sentences
-Ignored after 1815 when French threat had passed

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21
Q

What did weavers in Wigan form and when? How far did this spread?

A

1799 weavers in Wigan formed and association to stop wage reduction
Spread and the association of weavers had 14 branches in Lancashire by May 1799

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22
Q

How did the French revolution and war lead to a growth in trade unions?

A

-Economic discontent and high food prices created an environment of discontent
-Showed a growing sense of mutual support between workers who were unhappy with the situation and felt they deserved greater support

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23
Q

How much did Britain’s population grow by between 1750-1850?

A

From 6 million to 17 million

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24
Q

How did the desire for protection of workers lead to increased trade unionism?

A

-Free trade meant workers had to protect their own interests
-Became difficult to strike due to population growth as workers could be easily replaced
-Needed solidarity to be more forceful and ensure success - move from localised unions to national, collectivist organisations

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25
Q

Why did the Tolpuddle Martyrs form a union?

A

Pay had decreased from 9s to 8s then to 7s a week. Wanted to improve workers pay

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26
Q

What punishment did the Tolpuddle Martyrs receive?

A

Sentenced to 7 years transportation to Australia

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27
Q

When did the Tolpuddle Martyrs return?

A

1837 after being pardoned

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28
Q

How many men had joined the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers under the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

A

40 men

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29
Q

Where was there a protest and when, in response to the punishment of the Tolpuddle Martyrs? How many attended?

A

Copenhagen Fields, London
21st April 1834
100 000+ attended

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30
Q

How large a petition was there against the punishment of the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

A

800 000

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31
Q

Who was the employer of the Tolpuddle Martyrs? Who was the employer connected to?

A

Employer was James Frampton
William Ponsonby (MP) was Grand Foreman and was the brother-in-law to Home Secretary Lord Melbourne (who Frampton had complained to)

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32
Q

Which 2 philanthropic societies failed in 1818?

A

Philanthropic Hercules in London
Philanthropic Society in Lancashire

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33
Q

Which 2 trade unions were more successful in the early period?

A

-John Doherty’s 1829 Grand General Union of Operative Spinners in GB and Ireland
-National Association for the Protection of Labour

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34
Q

How long did these 2 more successful trade unions last?

A

2 years

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35
Q

Example of a physical attack on knobsticks?

A

Saw Grinders’ Union in Sheffield 1866

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36
Q

When did New Model Unionism emerge?

A

1850

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37
Q

When were the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) established?

A

1851

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38
Q

Which 3 independent unions were merged to form the ASE?

A

Old Mechanics
Steam Engine Makers’ Society
General Smiths

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39
Q

Why did the ASE form?

A

Concern in the growth of unskilled workers as there were so many workers, forcing wages down - aimed to protect the skilled workforce

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40
Q

What have historians argued that the growth in NMUs created?

A

An ‘aristocracy of labour’ which encouraged resentment between workers

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41
Q

Who led the ASE? What system was adapted?

A

William Allan
Rigid administration to ensure the organisation would last - Executive council in charge, members had to pay a fee

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42
Q

How much did the ASE have in income due to membership fees in 1852?

A

£12 000 p.a.

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43
Q

How large was membership in the ASE?

A

12 000

44
Q

Where were the branches of the ASE?

A

From Lancashire to Scotland

45
Q

When did the London builders go on strike, to gain what?

A

1859-60
Gain 9hr working day

46
Q

How many donations did the ASE provide the London builders over how many months? Result?

A

3 donations of £1000 over 6 months
Forced employers to compromise and showed the effectiveness of NMUs

47
Q

What union formed as a result of the success of the ASE?

A

Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASCJ)

48
Q

When was the ASCJ set up and who led it from what year?

A

Founded 1860
Robert Applegarth from 1862

49
Q

How much did membership increase by in the ASCJ between 1862-71?

A

From 1000 to 10 000

50
Q

Why were NMUs like the ASE so effective?

A

-Used peaceful negotiations and collective bargaining to persuade employers and attract a more favourable response from politicians
-Formed positive relations with the Liberal party who were sympathetic towards the NMUs

51
Q

How many members were part of a trade union movement, by what year?

A

1 million members
1874

52
Q

Downsides to NMUs?

A

-Excluded unskilled workforce who were then forced to continue with old and unsuccessful methods of strike action
-Still not universal and only operated within their own trade

53
Q

What reform was introduced which gave rights to workers who picketed peacefully during strikes?

A

The Molestation of Workmen Act 1859

54
Q

What were trade councils?

A

The grouping of local trade unions from a given geographical area that met together to promote the interests of their industry within that area

55
Q

When was the London Trades Council set up and where were their headquaters?

A

1860
Bell Inn

56
Q

Who were the main leaders of the London Trades Council? How many members by what year?

A

Dominated by leaders of the amalgamated unions of the ASE and ASCJ
100 000 members by 1866

57
Q

What were the motives of George Potter and William Dronfield?

A

-Wanted to bring all unions together regardless of their trade
-Desire to create a more universal body that actually reflected the views of all trade unions and not simply the biggest

58
Q

Who was the leader of the Bricklayers NMU?

A

Charles Coulson

59
Q

What was the Sheffield meeting? Who arranged it? What was the outcome?

A

-Arranged by William Dronfield
-1866 it set up the UK Alliance for Organised Trades
-Promised to bind unions in mutual support

60
Q

When did the UK Alliance for Organised Trades collapse? Why?

A

1867
Due to lack of finance

61
Q

Who was President of the Manchester and Salford Trades council?

A

Samuel Nicholson

62
Q

When was there a general trades congress organised by Samuel Nicholson? How many delegates representing how many members attended?

A

June 1868
34 delegates representing 118 000 members

63
Q

When was the Trades Union Congress (TUC) established?

A

June 1868

64
Q

What did the TUC establish and allow?

A

-A universal mechanism for the organisation of British labour. -Unions could defend their members and promote working class interests with one voice

65
Q

When was the Trade Union Act? What did it do?

A

1871
Made trade unions entirely legal

66
Q

Where was the New Lanark mill? Who set it up? When did it run from?

A

Clyde Valley, Scotland
Robert Owen
1799-1828

67
Q

What did Robert Owen believe in?

A

-Believed strongly in the principle of education and the importance of providing welfare for his employees
-Still wanted to create profit but not at the expense of his workers

68
Q

What did Owen abolish at New Lanark ad replace it with?

A

Abolished punishments to raise productivity
Introduced the ‘silent monitor’ system - wooden block with black for poor behaviour and white for excellent - appealed to sense of social standing

69
Q

How did Owen alter the working day for people?

A

-Day shortened to 12 hrs including a 1.5hr break for meals
-No children under 10 could work
-Free education for children in schools built on site

70
Q

How many child apprentices did Owen take on from the local parish workhouses?

A

500

71
Q

How maay months of pay did Owen continue with despite the mill being closed following the USA’s ban on cotton supplies to Britain?

A

4 months

72
Q

Who visited New Lanark in 1816?

A

Tsar of Russia, Grand Duke Nicholas

73
Q

What was set up for workers to provide goods at very little expense from 1800?

A

Proto-co-operative shop
Any amount of profits made were reinvested back into the community for education and children

74
Q

How many cooperative stores across Britain by 1832, based off Owen’s New Lanark stores?

A

500

75
Q

How much did Owen still make in profits annually by what year?

A

£300 000
1834

76
Q

What amount on a cheque did Owen write for charity, being the first of his time? What was the impact?

A

First £1 million cheque
Silenced critics of his methods showing how he actually gained huge economic prosperity with his methods

77
Q

What society was set up in London by whom in 1821, with what aims?

A

Co-operative and Economical Society
By Henry Hetherington and working men
Aimed to set up a communal house in Spa Fields

78
Q

Which physician published a newspaper to circulate the ideas of co-operation? How much did it cost? When did it run between? Where did they set up a cooperative?

A

William King - ‘The Co-operator’
Cost 1d
1828-30

79
Q

Where did the physician set up a cooperative?

A

Brighton

80
Q

How many people read ‘The Co-operator’? How many societies had been formed by 1829 and 1832?

A

12 000 people
300 societies by 1829
500 societies by 1832

81
Q

What did people who helped out with co-operative stores receive to ensure their long-term survival?

A

Dividend (share of annual profits)

82
Q

What was introduced which allowed workers to trade goods with a credit note showing how many hours it took to make, in return for another product of similar hours to make?

A

Labour Exchange Bazaars

83
Q

Name of the exchange bazaar set up in London when?

A

National Equitable Labour Exchange
Sept. 1832

84
Q

Where else was an exchange bazaar set up but in 1833?

A

Birmingham

85
Q

Why did Labour Exchange Bazaars fail?

A

Accumulation of unwanted goods

86
Q

Who were the Rochdale Pioneers? What organisation were they part of?

A

Group of 28 men
Formed the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers

87
Q

What did the Rochdale Pioneers set up and when?

A

New cooperative shop in Rochdale which formalised the model of co-operative business
1844

88
Q

What business structure did the Rochdale Pioneers set up?

A

-Charging market prices for products
-Not giving credit
-Electing management
-Percentage of profit being allocated to education
-Emphasis on good weights and measures to maintain an
honest reputation

89
Q

How many co-operative shops by 1863? How many formed after the Rochdale Pioneers movement?

A

332 (251 set up after pioneers)

90
Q

What had been requested, in what year, to be set up to provide a wholesale service to supply societies across the region? What year was this introduced?

A

‘co-operative of co-operative societies’ requested in 1856
Set up in 1860

91
Q

What was set up in 1863 for Cooperatives? What did it do?

A

Co-operative Wholesale Society
Collective trading power

92
Q

What occurred in 1868 allowing greater trading of cooperatives?

A

Establish overseas trading depots as far away as Australia and South Africa

93
Q

What occurred in 1815 and the 1840s which provoked a growth in co-operation?

A

Economic decline which motivated ‘hunger politics’

94
Q

What were friendly societies?

A

Groups of workers who joined together to support one another when the need arose (usually illness or death). These became known as ‘friendly societies’ and grew following a reduction in government protection from the 1660s

95
Q

What did workers do in friendly societies, particularly after 1817?

A

Paid into a mutual fund with weekly subscriptions. This fund was then used to support those who needed it at a later date. It was also used as a fund which members could use to enhance their positions and it was later expanded into a saving scheme and investment fund

96
Q

What was one of the earliest friendly societies? What and when did this split?

A

‘Royal Foresters’ in Yorkshire
Split into the ‘Ancient Order of Foresters’ in 1834

97
Q

What did governments fear about the growth of freindly soceities?

A

Thought they exhibited the same radicalism as that in France so wanted to regulate them to ensure conformity

98
Q

When was the Friendly Society Act?

A

1793

99
Q

Who did Friendly Societies have to register with and report how often?

A

Local Justice of the Peace
Every 3 months

100
Q

What other actions did Friendly Societies have to do under the Act?

A

-Draw up rules to govern themselves which did not challenge government
-Documents had to be kept and given to courts when necessary

101
Q

% ff population who were members of a ‘friendly’ by 1803?

A

8%

102
Q

Fraction of population by 1815 who were provided with insurance through friendly societies?

A

1/3

103
Q

Who could not join Friendly Societies?

A

Poorest workers due to the cost of membership fees

104
Q

What were friendly societies exempt from?

A

The Combination Acts - were regulated and legal unlike trade unions

105
Q

When were JP replaced and with what for registering Friendly Societies?

A

1846
Central department under of new ‘Register of Friendly Societies

106
Q

Membership of friendly societies in 1815?

A

Over 1 million

107
Q

When was the Friendly Society Act updated?

A

1855

108
Q

How much did membership in friendly societies outnumber trade unions by what year?

A

4 to 1
By 1870