Unit 7: Why did the General Strike fail? Flashcards
How was government response a reason for the General Strike’s failure?
General Strike lacked support amongst trade unions and workers.
Although Baldwin wanted to peacefully resolve the dispute, coservatives such as Churchill wanted to avenge Red Friday.
Gave two main priorities: maintaining food supplies and essential services, and preserving law and order.
The government was well organised:
Mobilised volunteers (500,000) middle and upper class but few were ever needed eg 114,000 volunteers were recruited in London but only 9500 were given work therefor the government had a large labour reserve.
Instructed the Boards of Guardians to refuse relief to strikers.
London Underground operated by 2000 Cambridge undergraduates which ensured good food distribution and transport maintenance therefore middle class work undermined working class strike impact.
Formed a civil constabulary reserve from former soldiers and members of the Territorial army, preventing the widespread use of armed forces so the government became increasingly confident that it could break the Union’s resolve.
In towns, local authorities kept the flow of food and coal supplies which prevented the breakdown the government feared.
Government failed in dealing with railways; difficult to mvoe goods throughout the strike- only 1% could be moved.
Several disturbances in Plymouth and London with violence- miners clashed with police and 1760 arrested.
How was the media a reason for the General Strike’s failure?
Churchill as editor of the ‘British Gazette’ was the government’s newspaper throughout the strike to inform the public of its strong position and raised fears that the strike represented a revolutionary threat of communism to the state.
Although the BBC claimed to be impartial, it refused to oppose the government because its income depnded on it, avoided supporting strikers due to Churchill’s demands of government seizure of control of news organs to use the BBC to the government’s advantages.
TUC’s propaganda severely restrained with the government preventing the BBC from broadcasting sympathy to the unions, Churchill ordering the requisition of The British Worker’s newsprint forcing it to reduce its publications to 4 pages from its usual 8.
Limited use of armed forces shows that the government did not really believe a communist revolution was brewing.
What was the extent of the strike?
3rd May- 12th May 1926 saw up to 1.75 million workers coming out in support of the coal miners within a day, showing the strike had much support.
Whilst the TUC was poorly prepared for the industrial action, making no arrangements until 27th April, the TGWU’s general secretary Bevin believed the strike was a success in terms of support: most of workers in transport, iron and steel production, chemical industries but also shipbuilders and engineers thanks to Bevin and the Power and Orders Committee- secured 10 agreements from power stations to cut electricity in London.
eg Bradford Council of Action called out 10,000 workers on the strike in which it found almost 100% support in the town with a solid response from the 40,000 workers in Leeds, 7000 in York and 100,000 in Mersyside.
Many London power stations remained in operation, many workers continued working so the strike was not effective as its leaders would have liked.
What was the TUC’s capitulation?
On 12 May, TUC called off the strike- General Secretary of MFGB Arthur James Cook blamed James Thomas and TUC leaders because they never fully supported militancy as shown by Thomas admitting he wanted to end the strike in the House of Commons before it got out of hand and not escalate beyond an industrial dispute, view confirmed by Churchills’ allegations of a revolution unfolding.
Black Friday made it seem that victory was impossible amongst the TUC leaders.
The government’s claims that it had to protect the nation from trade unions were persuasive; parliament had been democratically elected whereas the trade union leadership appeared autocratic.
‘Samuel Memorandum’ proposed by Herbert Samuel (chair of Coal Commission): the coal industry be reorganised and miners’ wages cut for one year, national wages board establish to ensure fair wages- rejected because his proposals would have involved the government committing to help sustain wages and after Red Friday this would be politically damaging.
What was the Trades Dispute Act 1927?
Strike failed as it achieved nothing.
Employers aimed to ensure there was not a repeat of events: trainway workers in Cheltenham were made to do longer hours for the same wage. 368/5000 trainway workers in Glasgow were suspended, many workers struggled to get their old jobs back, coal workers remained locked out until November 1926 where they were forced back through hunger.
Trade union movement divided by allegations of betrayal and accusations that the General Council failed to protect its members from post-strike victimisation causing a decline in membership: 5,219,000 to 4,392,000 by 1932.
The Trade Disputes Act 1927 limited the funding trade unions could provide and made it illegal to call a general strike to call a general strike to exhert influence over the government.
What is the conclusion of the General Strike?
The General Strike of 1926 was a dispute over the wages of coal miners but unionists like Bevin and Thomas did not want it to get out of hand and wanted the audiences to know that the government’s stability was not at risk.
The government did not need to rely on the army or navy to maintain order and parliament was never targeted by an organised revolution.
The response of volunteer labour from the middle and upper classes ensured that there was no threat to the poltiical system.
The years 1917-26 determined by the struggle to return to the competitive eonomic sustem of 1914- moments eg Black Friday were caused by the difficulty of returning to the traditional relationship between owners and labourers.
The government’s ease in defeating the trade unions emphasised how they ruled the nation instead of the trade unions therefore Britain’s future would be determiend by democratic elections and the governemnt.
