What were the Causes of the Breakdown in Industrial Relations, 1918-29? Flashcards
Growing Union Militancy- Power + Influence
Demand for industrial production is gov forced to ensure good pay, conditions, and working hours to prevent unrest
Membership increased from 4 million (1913) to 8 million (1918)
1918- 900,000 went on strike, 6 million days lost
Growing Union Militancy- Wartime Gains
Determined to hold onto wartime gains- believed strike action would be effective
Growing Union Militancy- Triple Alliance
Demonstrated more militant approach from union leaders
Railway Strike (1919), NUR, Miners’ Strike (1921), MFGB- product of new, confrontational approach
Growing Union Militancy- General Strike
Product of radical, confrontational approach
Arthur Cook refused to negotiate with gov, rejected planned wage cuts
TUC prepared to support them- 3 million workers called on to strike
Growing Union Militancy- Wartime Success
Success in the war meant unions embraced strike action + industrial unrest as primary method of defending workers
End of war marked beginning of era of hostile relations
Growing Union Militancy- Analysis
Unions won demands in WW1, assumed strike action would be effective
Hostile + uncompromising
More confrontational, unwilling to negotiate- strikes increased
Increased membership, ‘strength in numbers’, believed strikes would be effective
Economic Context- Recession
Deep recession in 1920s- British industry struggled
Demand for British exports fell- Germany + France recovered + began to export raw materials
War disrupted international trade- foreign markets turned to US
1913- exported 100 million tonnes of coal, 1921- exported 87 million
Wages slashed, workers laid off
Economic Context- Miners’ Strike
1921, DLG (ignoring Sankey Commission, 1919), ended nationalisation of industry
Mining wages cut by 30% on average- 49% in some parts of Wales
Unemployment at 12%, higher in industrial regions
25% increase in cost of living
Product of economic situation
Economic Context- General Strike
Samuel Commission proposed 13% pay cut for miners, TUC feared all industrial workers would be subject to cuts
Deeply reluctant to call a strike, felt they had no choice
General strike product of economic situation
Economic Context- Collapse of Industry
Strike action increased in direct proportion to collapse of heavy industry
Working days lost rose from 84 million (1921) to 162 million (1926)
Economic Context- Analysis
Wage cuts + rising cost of living + unemployment
Decline of exports
Post war recession
Strikes driven by economic concerns
Rising strike action as economy worsened- cyclical
Ineffective Government Policy- Miners’ Strike
Miners’ Strike direct response to ignorance of Sankey Commission (1919)- didn’t continue nationalisation + subsidies to support heavy industry
De-nationalisation followed by slashing of wages by 30%
Strike a product of short-term failure to protect wages + conditions of workers
Ineffective Government Policy- Baldwin
Pursued policies in the 1920s that harmed struggling industries
Policy of protectionism- 1925, tariffs introduced to suppress imports, but led to retaliatory tariffs (Europe) and falling exports
Policy compounded problems facing industry
Ineffective Government Policy- Churchill
Churchill’s (Chancellor) decision to reintroduce the ‘Gold Standard’ in 1925 increased the value of the pound, but made British goods more expensive, so unattractive abroad
Combined with Baldwin- prolonged recession + reduced exports
Ineffective Government Policy- Unemployment
Economic policies failed to support industry
Mid 1920s- unemployment in shipbuilding at 60%, in iron and steel at 40%, in coal mining at 41%
Strike action direct response to gov’s poor industrial strategy + lack of support
