Studied by 3 people
1880/90s
There was a recovery of trade → numbers of trade unions grew
Dockers’ Strike 1889
Victory for the unskilled work force
Drew attention to poverty of such people in Victorian Britain
New Unionism 1890s
Formation of several trade unions that were far more working class than had been previously the case
Many of these unions represented unskilled/less skilled labour → power remained in hands of employers, who could replace them during a strike
Union Membership 1892
Over 1,500,000
Growth accompanied by growth in militancy
miners’ lock out 1893 saw widespread violence + new tactic of trying to stop as many mines as possible from working
1897-8 strike of Amalgamated Society of Engineers
defeated by employers
caused workers to seek political action instead of trade union action
seemed union only addressed wages + working hours, not the wider problem of widespread poverty
Taff Vale Judgement 1900
Strike in Taff Vale Railway company resulted in company seeking an injunction against the union for picketing of stations in Cardiff
Injunction granted + union made liable
Taff Vale Decision 1901
Undermined right to strike
Unions had to pay unlimited damages to their employers for any revenue lost in the strike
Labour Representation Committee
Liberals rejected working class men
1899: Trade Union Congress decided to get more labour representation in Parliament
1900: TUC sent 129 delegates to TUC conference + formed the LRC.
1901-03: all major unions except miners supported the LRC as unions realised they needed representation in Parliament.
1903: membership >861,000
1900 Election
Keir Hardie and Richard Bell (LRC MPs) elected
1906 Liberal Victory
Labour got 29 MPs
Once at Westminster, renamed to Labour Party
Labour-Liberal alliance
agreed not to challenge each other for seats they could win from Conservatives
Labour supported Liberals
helped government pass much of its social reform legislation, i.e. National Insurance Bill 1911
Osborne Legal Judgement 1910
trade union members had to ‘contract in’ if they wanted some of their wages to go to a trade union - before the judgement they had to ‘contract out’
(reduces funding for trade unions)
1910 + 1911 Elections
40 and 42 seats
Trade Disputes Act 1913
helped expansion of Labour Party
WW1
leading Labour members were in the coalition directing the war effort
Fair rent and price controls
led to Labour being the working class party
Post-WW1
Liberals in disarray allowed Labour to emerge as the official opposition to the Conservatives
Note 
Flashcard (80)