Unit 7: To what extent was there a trade union revival in the aftermath of the First World War (between 1919 and 1921)? Flashcards
What was the belief of trade unions after WWI?
Trade unions were determined to consolidate their wartime gains.
With rail and coal industries nationalised, trade unions believed that state control of industry would continue in peacetime whereas the government was eager to return industry to private ownership and restore profits for business owners.
What was the belief of the government and employers after WWI?
After WWI, government employers wanted to return to pre-war regulations when the system was competitive.
Returning industries to private ownership aroused hostility from trade unions.
Became a period of crisis for capitalism with private competition undermined by state ownership and inflated workers’ wages.
Whilst there was an initial economic boom, by 1920 Britain was struggling to recapture the trade markets it dominated in 1914.
Although Britain’s industries benefited from the economic ruins of much of Europe and peacetime had high demand for industrial products, the increased pay and reduced hours that the British labourers had won in the war meant that British industry was incompetitive.
This shows that the economic boom was short-lived: business owners looked to increase hours and reduce wages to improve competitiveness.
How did nationalisation affect coal production?
High demand for labour meant that the government had to compromise with the working population.
In December 1916, the government seized the South Wales coalfield in response to the declining caol production.
The Defence of the Realm Act extended the measure of nationalising coal production to the entire country- profits from coal was pooled and divided to provided national regulation of wages. In September 1917, the government increased wages by one shilling and six pence a day and the same in July.
PM Lloyd George realised that wages needed to be reduced to make British coal competitive in foreign markets, set up the Sankey Commission to determine if coal should remain nationalised which would avoid industrial strikes against the government.
In March 1921, the coal industry returned to private owners despite the Sankey Commission recommending its continued nationalisation. The government did not want the expense or trouble of running the coal industry and wanted to act as an arbitrator between employers and workers.
As a result, employers announced cuts to wages to increase competitiveness: coal miners’ pay dropped 30% in 1921 so they went on strike.
How did nationalisation affect the government?
Traditionally, the government acted as an arbitrator in industrial disputes but nationalisation made it the chief negotiator with employees.
There was still a care for continued nationalisation after the war.
Nationalisation improved the efficiency of Britain’s railway in which previously, it excessively ran on excess rolling stock and different companies maintaining duplicate track, with nationalisation came state planning, rationalisation rolling stock and track which convinced trade unionists that nationalisation should continue.
In Thomas’ book ‘When Labour Rules’, he claimed that the nationalisation of the coal and rail industries by the government created a chance for a 44 hour week if labour were able to secure profits from industry going to all pockets.
Describe Black Friday, April 1921.
Leaders of the transport and railway unions ordered workers not to strike in sympathy with the miners.
Although Ernest Bevin was in favour of supporting the coal miners, he realised that participating would threaten his brittle union because the trade depression threatened the job of its members, therefore they refused to support the miners.
Hunger forced the miners to return to work- the failure of the miners’ strike and refusal of NUR and NTWF to support them lost trust and thus decline in industrial unrest.
The unrest between 1919-21 revealed the full extent of change due to the war and the increased influence of the trade unions.
Economist John Maynard Keynes claimed that the war had encouraged workers to want a change to the way produce was shared between employers and the employed.
Describe the state apparatus for strikes.
Defence of the Realm Act regulated industrial relations, replaced by Emergency Power Act 1920 allowing the government to declare national state of emergency in times of severe industrial unrest; make provisions for maintaining supplies, give full power to the cabinet and civil service, allow for quick passing of emergency legislation to regulate militancy (troops deployed into areas likely to be the sites of strikes). The Act was not required in 1921.
Effective anti-strike apparatus from government: Industrial Unrest Committee (strike committee) led by ex-railway manager Eric Geddes to counter strike activity- turned into Supply and Transport Committee which had policy making power. Geddes believed that the government should be mutual in disputes.
STC successfully reduced the impact of strikes by recruiting volunteers to replace striking labourers in essential services; established Volunteer Service Committee, STC oversaw government and business cooperation to stockpile resources, especially coal and oil eg government worked wiht British Petroceum Company to maintain fuel reserves.
To prevent the coal miners’ strike from causing disruption, it stopped coal exports, put troops on alert and called a state of emergency therefore military inervention was avoided: clear that the government was prepared.
In 1921, the STC disbanded as a cost saving measure.
What was the Transport and General Workers’ Union?
Bevin wanted to ensure that Black Friday was not repeated and replaced the old alliance with a centralised structure for industrial militancy coordination.
Secured support from NUR and MFGB; provided immense support for the Labour party.
What was the Amalgamated Society of Engineers?
Represented iron founders, builders, skilled engineers; able to pay one shilling a week to their union which would provide workers with money when a strike was called- financial strength of ASE deterred employers from pushing workers into strike.
What was the Council of Action?
Council of Action along with 350 local councils of actions in response to the risk of Britain entering war with Soviet Russia.
Was to coordinate opposition to any attempt by Britain to aid Poland’s war effort, orchestrate strikes to prevent the making and exporting of militancy supplies to Poland if Britain got involved- 6000 protesters gathered in london in 1920 opposing the war.
The Home Office fears of a revolutionary left wing movement exasperated by the actions of radical councils of action eg Birmingham Council wanted to make the movement anti-capitalistic by recommending the nation’s councils to address unemployment and oppose business profits. However, few trade unionists and Labour supporters saw the Councils as a revolutionary movement.
By 1921, the Council of Action and its local councils lost support as the chance of war with Russia diminished, Polish secured independence from Russia- Council of Action became a propagandist element in the labour movement.
