P13; Trade unions 1906 - 1914

Evidence for a revolution post 1879

1910-14, militant trade unions made ppl feel worried of revolution, with constant industrial unrest

-Tu membership grew to 4mil, with many strikes and lockouts

-increased militancy and willingness to strike, with some deaths

-judgments like Taff Vale and Osborne angered ppl

Evidence for no revolution

-Br not a revolutionary tradition

-Taff Vale reversed by Trade Disputes Act

-Osbourne reversed by Trade union act 1913

Strikes in 1910-11

1910 - Railway, cotton, boiler workers

Autumn 1910-11 - miners striking in Tonypandy (South Wales), where there was a strong influence. Churchill got army to help police, with a man getting shot. 10 months, but black legs made mine owners win

Tu change after 1911

1913 - National union of Railwaymen (NUR), being the only national union

1914 - Triple alliance of miners fed, NUR and Transport workers’ fed. Co-ordinated strikes could bring country to a stand still, but they didn’t do it well.

campaigned for improved conditions

Strike willingness

June 1911 - sailors and Firemen union striked in ports, and Tom Mann formed the National Transport Fed in 1910, further disrupting ports. 2 ppl shot and didn’t get demands

Summer 1911 - first National railway strike. 2 men killed. LG made deal for wage increases

1912 - (Worst Year)

• miners now had national union, striking for 5 shillings an hour for men and 2 for boys (National min wage). FEB-APRIL, with it getting called of with reduction in support. Asquith made district boards to negotiate min wage

• London Dockers failed due to not much national support. were talks of a triple alliance

1913 - Ireland syndicalist strikes for 6 months by metal working ppl

1914 -Triple alliance formed. War averted strikes

Why was there increased industrial action: 1) Syndicalism

called for change from direct action rather than action through parliament

wanted trade unions to run the country

used general strikes of sympathetic strikes

-Tom Mann was an influential figure, who tried to spread Marxist ideas

-Triple alliance not motivated on general strikes but used it as negotiation power

2) Trade disputes act 1906

repealed Taff Vale judgement so Tus more confidence to strike

3) Labour party disappointment

unlikely, was the fault of labour as grew membership, but ideas parliament incapable of meeting workers need, may have called for militancy :

-lost seats in 1910 elections

-seen as a junior liberal party, with no own radical policy

3) Liberal gov

-delays in Osborne judgement reversal till 1913 Trade union act

-took till 1911 of payment of MPs

-evidence liberals unsure to deal with unrest on this scale

• LG and Asquith did establish min wage, limiting hours + extended the state power to help

4) economic climate

most likely to increase unrest

-1909 wages weren’t keeping up with prices, as sharply fell

-1912 cost of living 14% higher than 1906

-Price inflation was worst 1911

middle + upper class gap widening, as they profited, so created bitterness

• 1991 trade boom reduced unemployment, and union membership rose to 4 mil