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What were the average wages for an unskilled labourer?
10 shillings and 9 pence a week
How many hours did dockers work per week and why did they keep working at this rate?
75, job insecurity
How much do historians estimate it would have costed to keep a family at a basic standard of care compared to average wages?
22 shillings compared to 10
As a consequence of the difference between basic living standards and wages, what did families have to do to get by?
Wives employed in domestic service and linen mills in Belfast, children under the minimum working age of 12 find work
What was the rate of unemployment in Belfast in 1908-09, when employers cut jobs to cut cost?
20%
How did families get around children needing a school leaving certificate to be employed?
certificates were often forged and under-age children would impersonate older siblings in order to get work they were unfit for
What was the impact of malnourishment and poor working conditions on infant mortality rate in Dublin?
169 per 1000 births in 1900
What were the two major businesses in Dublin?
Guinness brewery and Jacob’s Biscuits
Following the 1914 collapse of a slum building in Church street, what did the housing survey conclude about the number of families living in tenements?
25,822 families were living in 5322 tenements
How many families lived in 1 room together?
20,000
What did a study conducted by T.J Stafford, Medical Commissioner of Health conclude about the general health of the population in Industrialised Dublin?
half the city’s population lived in poverty and couldn’t meet basic requirements for good health
What was the mortality rate in Dublin?
22.3 per 1000 people
What was the mortality rate in Glasgow?
17 per 1000 people
What was the main cause of death due to the poor living conditions?
Pulmonary Tuberculosis (bacterial lung disease)
What does NUDL stand for and when was it formed?
National Union of Dock Labourers, 1907
What does ITGWU stand for and when was it founded?
Irish Transport and General Workers Union, 1909
Why did the NUDL move their attention to Ireland?
began to recruit in earnest in the ports of Ireland like Belfast
Why was Jim Larkin an important person in bringing the union to Ireland?
driving force behind organisation of Belfast dockers, lost his job after being involved in strike action in 1905 H
How many dockers did Larkin unionise?
3,100
How did the 1907 Belfast strike start?
May strike against Belfast Steamship Company to secure union recognition, shorter working hours and better wages
Why was there secondary strike action in shipyards in July 1907?
usually employers would import blackleg labour, but no one was willing to transport goods anywhere
How was the 1907 Belfast strike escalated?
PO William Barrett refused to ride in a vehicle transporting blackleg labour to the docks- led to munity in RIC and 300 other constables refused to protect blackleg workers so troops were drafted
How many attended the August meeting during the Belfast strike?
10,000
Why was the 1907 Belfast strike ended?
meeting led to clash with troops and deaths of 2 bystanders, NUDL leader Sexton and leaders of the GFTU found a deal that was favourable to employers, carters persuades back to work with promises of wage increase so dockers defeated
How was the 1907 Belfast strike a success?
first time unskilled workers able to organise for own benefit, evidenced widespread worker solidarity, secondary strike action showed importance of numbers
How was the 1907 Belfast strike a failure?
defeated due to efforts of unions themselves by dividing ranks, deal was to advantage of employers because it divided workers yet again
How does the 1907 strike show unity in religion?
sympathy among WC ignored religious backgrounds
Why did Larkin leave the NUDL?
attempted to encourage a militant stand against employers in additional branches of NUDL but was met with confrontation from Sexton
How many workers were a member of the ITGWU?
1911 5000 by the end of the year 18000
How did the ITGWU differ from other unions in Ireland?
older unions inclined to negotiate with employers so only asked for things they were willing to grant, first union to embrace radical agenda by adopting syndicalism as its central ideology
How did Jim Larkins reach out to the broader masses?
established weekly newspaper the Irish Worker in May 1911 which sold 20,000 copies a week
What political affiliation did Larkins have?
socialist
Why did Larkin spend a year in prison in 1910-11?
Sexton accused him of fraud after he moved funds from Cork to Dublin branch to support strikes in an attempt to undermine him and the new union
Why was Larkin expelled from NUDL?
organised 1908 Carters strike
What strike did Larkin organise which showed his success despite attempts to undermine his leadership?
1913 Dublin General Strike
What political affiliation did James Connolly have?
socialist
What success did James Connolly have with strike action in Belfast?
established Irish Textile Workers’ Union for female linen workers, contributed to growing militancy of Irish workers
When did Connolly join ITGWU?
1910 W
What foundation was Connolly apart of in 1912?
Irish Labour Party alongside Larkin and O’Brien
What did Connolly establish during the Lockout?
Irish Citizen Army- 300 strong and disciplined female soldiers
What groups did Connolly win a payrise for?
seamen and firemen
What limitations are there with Connolly’s impact on conditions?
not immediate- industrial action overtook political attempts in 1913
What was Connolly’s significance to the union movement?
clear determination to promote WC interests beyond unions
What was Connolly’s importance?
contributed greater political understanding to L’s militancy, better grasp on socialist theory and worked with L who had personal touch
Who was William Martin Murphy?
Catholic businessman who was the wealthiest in Dublin, controlled the United Tramway Co. and owned two newspapers, regarded as one of the better employers
How did Murphy view the union movement?
opposition to militant labour movement and set on destruction of ITGWU and militant trade unionist movement led by Larkin before affected his interests
Who did Murphy lead during the Lock-out?
Dublin Employers Federation 1911, est to suffocate ITGWU by refusing to employ members of the union
How did Murphy and the Dublin Employers Federation cause the Lock-Out?
July 1913 meetings of employees on Dublin United Tramway Co., invited to join legit union and warned dismissal if anyone recruited for ITGWU, in Aug fired all members from Irish Independent dispatch dept which led to boycott of the paper
What was the 1913-14 General Strike
Major strike led by ITGWU August 1913-14 that lasted 6 months
What was the cause of the 1913-14 General Strike?
Murphy’s firing of Irish Independent workers for being members of ITGWU, strike timed for maximum disruption as was during Dublin horse show
Who supported the 1913-14 General Strike?
Supported by Labour in Br and Irish Independent distributors who refused to print the paper, dock workers who refused to transport Easton and Compan'y’s goods when they sold II
How many tram workers participated in the GS?
700 out of 1700
How did the GS widen?
strike grew to incorporate other areas of Dublin life therefore widening and increasing in severity
How did the opposition react to the GS?
Dublin Met. violent and Catholic Church criticised, retaliation of employers through Dublin lock-out at end of August
What was the Dublin Lock-Out?
employers blacklisted workers in ITGWU and brought in blackleg labour to divide the union movement
How many employees were locked out by how many firms?
25,000 by 400 firms
What was the overall cost to employers during the lockout?
£300,000
How much was food packages sent by the British WC to help striking families worth?
£40,000
Who supported the GS?
British labour movement and working class
How did the Board of Trade respond to the GS?
Askwith Commission- failed
What was the Askwith Commission?
BoT commission to find solution to industrial disputes, recommended end to ban on ITGWU membership and sympathy strikes and creation of Conciliation Board
Why did the Askwith Commission fail?
Employers proposed union leadership to be replaced with men amenable to employers which the ITGWU refused
What was the ‘Save the Kiddies’ scheme?
scheme for starving children of strikers to be looked after by British unionists which was blocked by the Catholic Church because they worried they would be influenced with Protestant ideas
Why did Larkin hope British union support would help the strike?
originated from British union movement in Liverpool
How did Larkin go about gaining support from the British and how successful was he?
toured Britain trying to prevent workers from enabling scab labour or trade (Fiery Cross Crusade starting at Free Trade Hall in Manchester ), workers were divided and union leaders attempted to discredit him
What happened at the TUC special conference in Dec 1913?
TUC officials refused to endorse Larkin’s actions and isolated the ITGWU
What evidence is there the conditions of strikers deteriorated as the strike went on?
clashes led to the shooting of a 16 year old girl by a scab worker
Why was the strike called off in Jan 1914?
complete isolation
What was the consequence of the GS?
many strikers blacklisted and struggled to return to work, Oct 1914 Larkin left Ireland for America
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