Workers’ movements (Trade Unions)

Question 1

What were the causes of the Workers’ Movements (5)

Answer 1

• Before the First World War the ‘Triple alliance of railway workers, coal miners and transport workers had been very militant in trying tom improve conditions and pay.
• During the war workers were happy as industries were nationalised.
• After the war economic conditions declined again. The price of coal fell and mine owners wanted to reduce pay by 13% and increase shift hours from 7 to 8 hours.
• In 1925 the government agreed to support wages for a year to prevent more strikes.
• When the subsidy ran out, the mine owners tried to increase hours and decrease wages

Question 2

How many coal miners went on strike due to the changes being made to their wages/hours?

Answer 2

800,000 miners

Question 3

What date did the TUC call for a General Strink? Was it a peacful protest?

Answer 3

4th May 1926
strike began peacefully however the TUC called out more workers until several million workers joined the strike and small disputes between strikers and police broke out

Question 4

How did the government react to the General Strike?

Answer 4

government had spent 9 months preparing for the strike and used the armed forces and volunteers to keep what they could running smoothly

Question 5

When/Why was the General Strike called off?

Answer 5

TUC secretly began negotiating with the government and mine owners and were forced to call of the strike on the 13th may; 9 days of the strike began

Question 6

What was the short term consequence of the General Strike (1926)

Answer 6

General Strike had briefly shown the strength and solidarity of the working class, although the strike was a failure and union membership fell dramatically. However employers felt they could reduce union power even more after the great depression began in 1929 where there was mass unemployment and lower wages.

Question 7

What were the long term consequences of the General Strike?

Answer 7

• Union membership grew again after WWII. Many industries were nationalised and workers found it easy to press the government for better pay and conditions.
• Union activity increased in the 1970s and 1980s. Strikes were frequent and the government usually gave in to their demands.
• Margaret Thatcher’s government introduced laws to reduce the power of the unions including banning ‘flying pickets’ and restricting ‘closed shops;
• The miners’ strike of 1985 was a turning point. The strike failed and the miners had to return to work after one year.
• Thatcher received an absolute victory as Union power was now massively reduced as the strike allowed the government to remove trade unions from the political agenda.