1913 strike and lockout

Working conditions in dublin

• 1901 75% of all male workers unskilled

• Most dockers / carters

• Female workers = jacobs, laundries, domestic seervents

• Female workers paid half male workers

• Guinness = only industry offering secure employment

Housing in dublin pre lockout

87,000 or a third of population in slums

1914 - 22000 families in one room tenements unfit for human habitation

1914 - govt report claimed 1500 tenements unfit for humans

Health condition in dublin pre lockout

• T.b/ consumption run rampant

• Poor living conditions responsible for 25000 deaths in dublin (1902 - 1911) (responsible for third of all deaths in dublin)

• 1444 people died of tb in 1913

• Measles, tb, whooping cough very common, very contagious

Social problems in dublin pre lockout

Alcohol

• workers paid their wages in pubs

• Grocery shops in pubs

Crime

• widespread, associated w drunkeness

• Serious crime incl murder, rape, assault, robbery = 1000 for every 10,000 people

• Many woman prostitutes because of poverty (STRUMPET CITY)

James larkin - gen description

• born to irish immigrants in liverpool

• Difficult to work with

• charismatic and extremely enthusiastic leader

• Docker - became organiser of national union of dockworkers

• Belfast in 1907 by union

  • United catholic and prod workers in strike

  • 800 of 1000 RIC members to join

  • Strike ended when leadership reached a compromise

  • Larkin considered this a sell out (Start of poor relations)

  • Moved to dublin in 1908 - organised dublin dockers

Description of dublin slums quote

Arnold wright

“Houses divided into three classes, (a) structurally sound (b) houses so decayed they were approaching border line of being unfit for human habitation (c ) houses unfit for human habilitation

Headings for social conditions in Dublin in the early 20th century

• Working conditions

• housing

• health

  • social issues

Perecentage of unskilled male workers in Dublin

1901 - 75% of male workers unskilled

Housing statistics pre lockout

1/3 of population lives in slums

1914 - 22,000 families lived in one room tenements unfit for human habitation

government report (when) claimed how many tenements unfit for humans

in 1914, report claimed 1500 of city’s tenements unfit for humans

poor living conditions responsible for how many deaths

over 25,000 deaths in dublin between 1902 and 1911 (1/3 of deaths in dublin)

crime rate in dublin

1000 crimes for every 10000 people

Who was james connolly

in 1910, organizer of belfast brance of Irish transport and general workers union

socialist party in 1912

formed irish citizen army in 1913 to protect striking workers of the strike and lockout

How was the ITGWU formed ?

• Larkin arrives in dublin in 1908, conditions really bad

• Larkin decided to break away from the moderate union of Britain and formed his own union

• 1910 James connolly organized union in belfast

Describe sympathetic strikes

• ITGWU’s most effective weapon

• trade unionists would refuse to handle goods coming from any industry with striking workers

ITGWU’s sympathetic strike start

• good start

• 1912 and 13, had a number of strikes, resulting in wage increases of 25% for some members

• 30 strikes in dublin between january and agust in 1913

Who was William martin murphy

• most powerful businessmen

• owned transport company, clerys department store, imperial hotel and the irish independent

• had the task of organizing employers against strike

General steps to the lockout

• JULY 1913 - warning to workers to not be apart of ITGWU

• August 1913 - sacked 100 members

• Augst 1913 - remaining workers striked around horse show week

• 31st august - bloody sunday

• Sympathetic strike

• 3/9/26 - lockout agreed to

Describe the steps to the stirke and lockout pre bloody sunday

• July 1913 - WMM warned workers that they are allowed to be in trade union, but not hte ITGWU

• 21st of Augst, he sacked 100 members in the ITGWU

• 26th august, Larkin told any remaining members of the ITGWU in the tram company to go on strike during horse show week

Events of bloody sunday

• Sunday 31st August

• Large public meeting to take place on modern day oconnel street

• larkin appears on balcony of WMM’s Imperial hotel

• Arrested

• DMP turned on crowd, baton charged loads of them, 2 died

What happened post bloody sunday

• Workers from other companies also striking in retaliation

  • scabs that took over were threatened

How did the lockout begin

3rd september

• Murphy calls meeting of employers of Dublin

• Lockout agreed to

• Workers that refused to sign a declaration that they wouldnt be part of ITGWU sacked

• 400 employers agreed and paid a deposit

• 20,000 members locked out

What hardship came from the strike and lockout

• over 100,000 workers and families affected

• ITGWU had limited funds, unable to provide long term strike pay

• many families forced to sell possessions

What help came for those in hardship because of the lockout ?

• Lord Mayor of Dublin raised 6000 pounds for families

• St Vincent de Paul sent some aid

• British workers sent over 100,000 pounds

• TUC sent a ship laden with food and supplies

• Countess markievics set up food kitchens

What were the attitudes towards the strike and lockout

• Most newspapers against it

  • (Especially the independent, evening, sunday herald and irish catholic - all owned by wm)

  • Irish times published some open letters written by Yeats and others

  • small publications like Connolly’s “the Irish worker” supported it

• Liberal government hoped for a compromise

• British Labour supported the strikers

• Home Rule party did not want distractions and were concerned with the passage of the third home rule bill (Redmond and Dillon hated Larkin and Murphy, didnt wanna get involved)

What was the Askwith Enquiry

• 24th september, chief secretary of Ireland (Agustine Birell) established this to examine working conditions in Dublin

• Recommended

  • Employers withdraw demand for workers to sign anti union declaration

  • union should end policy of sympathetic strikes and negotiate before striking

• Strikers were so happy to agree, employers said no

• Turned public opinion against employers, support for strikers at all time high

How did the public opinion towards the strikers plummet, generally ?

• Kiddies scheme

What was the kiddies scheme

• Larkin’s biggest mistake

  • Agreed to suggestion where english families would foster irish children until strike was over

  • scheme met with so much disapproval from ARCHBISHOP WALSH

    • feared catholic children could be sent to prods

  • Catholic Clergy organized public campaign which grabbed children off boats before they left

  • Murphys papers PRINTED THE NAMES of families who agreed to take part

  • Resulted in strained relations between church and union

How did Larkin fall out with the TUC

• end of october 1913, jailed for 7 months for role in bloody sunday

• released after two weeks following outcry from union and yeats and shaw

• Fell out with the TUC immediately

  • criticised them for not organizing strikes over there

  • they condemned him

  • he was now seen as an obstacle to settlement

How did the strike end

• It slowly flickered out as workers drifted back to work

• some employers allowed workers return without signing declaration

• February - strike over, WMM and employers claimed victory

General impact of Strike and lockout

• bitterness

  • WMM most hated figure in irish history

• workers with major role blacklisted

  • some of these had little option but to enlist in british army in 1914

• helped highlight terrible living conditions in dublin

  • led to govt report on matter in 1914

• ITGWU survived and continued under less radical leadership

  • under thomas johnson

  • right to organize under trde unions established

• rise of labour movement in ireland

• Larkin left for USA

  • returned in 1923 and tried again

  • failed to have same impact on irish politics again

• Connolly remained in ireland

  • his irish citizen army became more nationalisitc

  • took part in 1916 rising

• Employers began to negotiate with workers instead of risking another strike

• Neither Larkin nor WMM held any sway in irish politics again - both considered too extreme

Why did industry develop rapidly in Ulster in the 19th century

• FREE TRADE

  • raw materials (coal, iron) could be imported cheaply from britain

  • exports could be sold free from duties

• Strong work ethic

• Ample supply of labour

• investment by people like edward harland

Linen industry in Belfast

• industry eomplyed over 90,000 people

• exported goods to britain and usa through belfast port

• had positive knock on effect on other areas of economy

  • local agricultural benefitted by providing flax for linen

  • engineering industry expanded as they provided machiner

• Post ww1 industry declined

Shipbuilding in belfast

• Had a deep water port (Victoria harbour) - plenty of room to build ships

• Harland and Wolff biggest shipyard

  • exploited growing market for steamships

  • built titanic in 1912 - biggest ship in world at time

  • biggest shipbuilding company in world by 1914, employed over 10,000

What was the Co-operative movement

• Plunkett established first co op creamery in Cork

• Established agricultual org society in 1894 to coordinate activities fo coop creaeries

• coop cut out middleman, helping farmers make profit

• very successful movement, but confined to dairy sector

• plunkett remains controversial - disliked by many as hes a unionist

What was the Irish womans franchise league

• Established by Hanna sheehy - skeffington and the margaret cousins in 1908

• fought for vote for women

• 1912 - established own newspaper - irish citizen

• took militant action - disrupted meetings and heckled members of home rule party

What happened on the 26th of august 1913

• Tram strike at WMM’s refusal to allow workers be apart of ITGWU

What happened on the 28th of August 1913

• Larkin arrested and charged with speaking to break public peace

What happened on the 29th and 31st august 1913

29 - official ban on intended march on occonnol street

31st august - larkin ignores ban, appears on balcony, 3 killed, hundreds injured in bloody sunday

What happeneded on the 2nd september 1913

Houses on church street collapse, 7 killed - increase in support for strikers

3rd september 1913

• WMM addresses 400 members of employers federation

• agree to declaration against ITGWU

• lock out 20,000 workers

• effected 100,000 people

When were the three attempts at settlement of the lockout

15th september, 26th september, 6th october

Explain the first attempt at settlement of the lockout

15th of september

• conference between employers, workers and british trade union leaders

• ENDS IN FAILURE

2nd/3rd attempt at settement

26TH september

• asquith appointed to oversee court of inquiry

• 6th october - inquiry concluded

  • larkin agrees to enter talks

  • employers refuse

  • INCREASES SUPPORT FOR STRIKERS

  • employers position condemened by newspapers, politicians and church leaders

Kiddie scheme opposition date

• 20th october

  • archbishop walsh clashes against kiddies scheme - fall in support for strikers

Who was Francis Sheehy skeffington

• champion of underdogs

• pacificst, intellectual, journalist

• supported womens rights, the dublin civic league and irish citizens army during 1913

Archibishop walsh

• advocate of home rule

• fiercely admonished mothers who consented to send children abroad

who were the ancient order of hibernians

• oldest and largest irish american org

• catholic ethos

• involved in grabbing children off of boats to england

whats a blackleg

slang term for workers working during dispute

who were the dmp

Dubllin metropolitan police - unarmed police force mainly concerned w petty crime

reasonably popular until they baton charged strikers

what was the fiery cross

• during lockout, larkin campaigned in britain for sympathetic strikes in britain

• imagery and content of speeches provacative

• little success - TUC refused to endorse tactic

when was larkins second jail sentence

• 8th october

  • larkin sentenced for 7 months, freed within 2 weeks following protests from yeats, shaw and co

fiery cross capaign dates

• 14th november

  • fiery cross campaign - larkin falls out with TUC

  • support and funs dry up

last time they try settling the strike and lockout

• 18th december

  • reps and employers meet again

  • fails due to disagreement over reinstatement of workers

end of lockout dtaes

• December 1913 - Jan 1914

  • employers drift back to work