trade unions

no of trade union members 1913

4 million

no of trade union members 1919

8 million

decline in industrial production over ww1

mining produce had fallen by 21.8%

what was the effect of ww1 on industrial workers

worsened living conditions

stronger negotiating position

who was ernest bevin

privotal in forming ntwf policy

who was responsible for the nur

james thomas

when was the triple alliance formed

1914

who was in the triple alliance

mfgb, ntwf, nur

date of the munitions of war act

1915

what was the munitions of war act

brought private companies under the authority of the ministry of munitions

effect of munitions of war act

workmen could not leave employment without a leaving certificate

glasgow rent strikes

april 1915, by may 25,000 tenants striking

‘My father is fighting in France, we are fighting the huns at home’ (landlords)

response to glasgow rent strikes

nov 1915 - gov passed rents and mortgage interest restriction act - limites rents to pre-war levels

Glasgow socialists

• James Maxton- ILP

• Manny Shinwell- key in securing support of seafarers in 40 hours movement, imprisoned 5 months for incitement to riot

• John Maclean - rev. socialist. 1918- 75 min ‘speech from the dock’

40 hour strike date

jan 1919- 50,000 on strike

reason for 40 hours movement

number of demobilised soliders led to threat of unemployment. Reducing week from 47-40 hours share work more equally

effects of the 40 hour strike

'battle of george square'- 6 tanks and 100 lorry loads of soldiers later sent after riots

dilution

practice of employing unskilled or semi-skilled workers for skilled work- grievance on Clyde- 14,000 female workers employed- strikes May 1917

general council of TUC created

1919- Robert Smillie, JH Thomas

triple alliance 1919

thomas called a strike, gov deployed troops at paddington and woking stations, miners and transport workers did not support the strike

when was the coal industry returned to private owners

march 1921

what did the sankey report recommend

coal mines remained nationalised

pay of coal miners, 1921

fell 30%

date of black friday

15 april 1921

what was black friday

leaders of transport and railway unions ordered workers not to strike in sympathy with miners- breakdown of triple alliance

deline in industrial unrest after black friday

85 million days of work lost in 1921, only 10 million in 1923

emergency powers act date

oct 1920

role of stc

1919 - worked with british petroleum company to maintain fuel reserves

stc reaction before black friday

halted coal exports, put troops on alert, called a state of emergency

what was the coucil of action

formed by trade unions and labour paty, designed to stop the british gov aiding poland's war effort

what created deflation

churchill's introduction of the gold standard

coal crisis 1925

owners tried to increase working hours and cut wages by 13%

court of inquiry ruled that wages should be agreed before profits were taken by owners and owners had to re-organise industry - rejected by miners and owners

how did baldwin respond to the coal crisis

• red friday - 31 july 1925 - 9 month gov subsidy of coal miners wages

• Govt playing for time- this frustrated Churchill and other right-wing politicians

• samuel commission- proposed 13.5% cut for coal miners, partly triggering general strike

what did the samuel commission recommend

ending of the wage subsidy and introduction of temporary wage cuts until coal industry reorganized (nationalisation recommended)

when did owners lock out miners who refused wage reductions

29 april 1926

when did the tuc call for a general strike

1 may 1926- govt subsidy due to run out

govt response to general strike

• 500,000- govt managed to keep docks and power stations open- Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (upper class)

• telegram sent nationwide ‘action’

• 2 battleships in the Mersey

how was the london underground operated during the general strike

2000 cambridge uni undergraduates

one area gov organisation did fail in

railways - 12 may only 6% of freight able to be moved

day 5 of general strike

psychological shock- london running short of flour- convoy of 100 lorries went to docks

how many arrests made in strike

1760

most iconic act of violence in strike

derailing of the flying scotsman on 10 may

how many workers came out in support of the miners

• 4th may - 1.5 million workers, as well as 1 million miners- transport workers, printers, iron and steel etc = STANDSTILL

• 98% of railway workers stayed on strike until the end

when did the tuc call off the strike

12 may

trades dispute act date

1927

what was the trades dispute act

• made general and sympathetic strikes illegal

• Banned use of TU funds for political purposes unless workers ‘contracted in’

how many did coal mining industry employ 1925

1 million

fragmentation of mining industry= lack of investment

In 1923, 1500 coliery companies operated 2481 mines

decline in coal exports- 1913-1921

• 1913- 94 million tons exported

• 1921- 36 million

long term origins of general strike

• decline in coal exports due to foreign competition

• outdated industry

• unionised workforce- 1 in 10 employed in mines- barometer of industrial relations

• poor conditions for miners e.g ‘Black lung’ caused by coal dust

1920 emergency powers act

Govt. could use troops in event of a strike

John Foster’s description of period post-1918

‘a crisis for capitalism’- private competition undermined by state ownership and inflated workers wages (war bonuses)

common analysis of Marxist historians and J.M Keynes

post-war industrial unrest was the result of the reduced legitimacy of the capitalist system in the eyes of the workers

short term pressures causing general strike

• return to gold standard- exports become overpriced

• France leaving the Ruhr in 1924- more competition against British coal

• TUC support- Summer 1925 TUC promised support for miners

• Govt. action to avert crisis fails

Date of general strike

Tuesday 3rd May - Thursday 12th May 1926

why would Black Friday contribute to general strike?

• exposed weaknesses of triple alliance and led to humiliation

• determination by TUC to create unity among unions in the future

when was Britain put on the gold standard

April 1925- Churchill as chancellor- overvalued pound by 10%, so British exports overpriced

Slogan of miners rejecting Samuel commission

‘Not a penny off the pay! Not a second on the day!’

when did TUC promise to support miners again (after black friday)

1925

How was daily mail key to triggering strike

• Daily Mail printers refused to put out editorial criticising mine owners - Churchill could cite this as interference with the freedom of the press as reason to end TUC talks

Lloyd George on John Maclean

‘the most dangerous man in Britain’

victimisation of strikers

some employers only took on non-union labour after the strike

failure of the TUC in general strike- C.L Mowat

‘For the rank and file it was a triumph, for most of its national leaders a humiliation’

Percentage of railway workers out on strike until the end

98%

OMS

Organisation for the Maintenance of supplies

Aftermath of strike

• Miners stayed out on strike and refused to negotiate but some returned after starvation set in

• September - MFGB ordered regional leaders to make deals with owners- longer hours and lower wages

Decline of TU membership after strike

5 million 1926- 4 million in 1932

Less confrontational approach

Term for workers who refused to strike

Black legs

National rail strike

• September 1919

• Govt deployed troops at Paddington and woking fearing triple alliance strike

• cost govt £10 million

what did NUR and NTWF accuse MFGB of doing black friday

Wanting support but refusing rail and transport factions of the triple alliance

Newspaper propaganda around TUs

Daily express condemned 1919 sept railway strike

framed strike as direct challenge to liberties of British people, intending to compare them to revolutionary bolsheviks

october 1920 council of action protest

6,000 protesters opposing intervention in Poland

when did coal mine owners move to cut miners wages before general strike

june 1925

Mine owners lock out miners for refusing wage cuts

29 april

how many local councils of action

350- set up by local labour parties

movement lost popular support after Peace of Riga

women involved in glasgow rent strikes through Glasgow Women’s Housing Association

Mary Barbour (organised tenant committees and eviction resistance) , Helen Crawford/ Agnes Dollan (suffragettes)

‘Mrs Barbour’s Army’

Crawford and Barbour would go on to campaign for end of war 1916

Rents and Mortgage Interest restriction act

25th nov 1915

other support for rent strikes

• Under Maxton- clyde workers committee threatened to call general strike in support of rent strikers

• 17th nov- shipbuilders came out in sympathy with protesting women

• When landlord tried to prosecute 18 strikers for refusing to pay rent, Lloyd George phoned urging prosecution to be delayed for the sake of munitions production

Rent strike significance

combined w/ success of removing employment leaving certificates (munitions of war act 1915), rent strikes showed influence labouring classes had attained during war