Trade Union militancy

What caused the development of trade unions in the 19th and early 20th century?

• Urbanisation

• Industrialisation

• TUC- 1868

• Legislation of TUs - 1871

• Economic competition abroad

• Rise of Labour Party

• Excessive striking (1910-14)

• Triple Alliance (1914)

• WW1

What was WW1s impact on labour market?

• 1913: 4,189,000 workers were TU members

• 1919: 8,081,000 workers were TU members

• Economic challenges of war → nationalisation of many industries (removed business owners → direct negotiations); higher demand for industry workers put labourers and TUs into a strong position to negotiate1915-18

Actions of Ernest Bevin and James Henry Thomas

• Ernest Bevin: executive committee of NTWF. Pivotal in forming policy (realised transport had to collaborate with coal and railway)

• James Henry Thomas: NUR (National Union of Railwaymen) 1913. Gen secretary 1916. Worked with Lloyd George’s coalition by cracking down on unofficial strikes and ensuring industrial harmony (improving pay and conditions)

What was the Triple Alliance

Miners Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) united with NTWF and NUR at beginning of war. Thomas and Bevin believes it would allow for effective coordination of strike action

What was the 1915 Munitions of War Act?

• Brought wartime supplies under authority of the ministry of munitions (gave power to regulate wages, hours and employment conditions)

• Could resolve industrial conflicts (1915 committee reviewed wages in shipbuilding industry)

• Workmen couldn’t leave employment without a leaving certificate from previous employer- employers could control future of employee

How did Dilution cause problems?

• Use of semi-skilled or unskilled labour (e.g women) undermined skilled workers → on the Clyde, there was much unrest where 14,000 female workers were employed - strikes in May 1917

• Shortage of labour meant Gov often employed those not in TUs (changed 1916)

What were the unofficial strikes by Clydeside workers? 1915

• Red Clydeside- shipyards and workshops (focus of industrial militancy- 35% of city’s workforce) - Manny Shinwell and James Maxton at forefront

• Discontent caused by leavibg certificates provoked strikes at Fairfield Yard on the Clyde Aug 1915

• Gov abolished leaving certificates 1917

What were the Glasgow Rent Strikes? 1915

• Influx of workers to shipyards→ landlords raised rent (properties= dilapidated and overcrowded)

• Tenants refused to pay increases- led by Glasgow Women’s Housing Association. Sent to be evicted but blocked by large crowds

• LL took to court action but this sparked more strikers: 25,000 by end of 1915

• Clyde Workers committee threatened General Strike in support→ Gov so worries about impact on war production they passed legislation freezing rents at pre-war levels (significant- demonstrated extent of influence the labouring class had attained)

What was the Rents and Mortgage Interest Restrictions Act? Nov 1915

• Passed in response to Glasgow rent strikes → limited rent and mortgage rates to 1914 levels

Wartime cooperation between unions and Government

• Labour Leader Arthur Henderson made a cabinet minister in wartime coalition. 1916 two more Labour MPs and union leaders brought into government

• Union Leaders joined Coalition - Gov took control of coal miners to consolidate war effort (pleased miners bc relations with profit-driven mine owners remained bitter)

• State control brought national regulation of wages and wage rises 1917 and 1918

What was the 40 hours strike in Glasgow? January 1919

• Joint strike committee organised a local general strike to demand a 40-hour week

• 50,000 men went on strike

• Manny Shinwell (local leader of British Seafarers union and ILP member) called for G strike and threatened to shut off city’s power stations and shut down trams unless demands met

• Strike spread to London- underground workers strike

• Gov feared Bolshevik inspired revolution ‘Red Clydeside’ → 12,000 troops sent to Glasgow, mass meetings in George Square 31st January; sudden police charge led to riot; red flag raised from city hall

• Strike fizzled out and leaders arrested (Shinwell 4 months for incitement to riot but elected as Labour MP 1922)

• Churchill sent 10,000 troops to Glasgow to deter

What were the long term causes of the General Strike? Pre 1914

• Conditions for Miners: notoriously dangerous; accidents, cave ins and presence of gas; suffered poor health due to coal dust (black lung)

• State of Mining Industry: majority of mines were old or small (most coal still cut by hand); lack of capital investment; Ownership fragmented - 1923 1500 colliery companies operated 2481 mines

• Unionised workforce: 1/10 m.w employed in coal; considerable strategic influence (backbone of country and first hit in economic crisis); Miners unions existed since 1840s. 1889 Miners federation =one of strongest. Sponsored some of first WC MPs like Kier Hardie; Triple alliance promises sympathetic strike action in support of eachother

How was the Government responsible for the General Strike?

• 1925 Gold Standard increased prices of exports (miners wage reductions 10%)

• Subsidy of Red Friday (31st July 1925) - 9 month subsidy of 23 million→ victory for WC, encouraging revolutionaries?

• No attempt by Baldwin to enforce Samuel Report March 1926 → had already prepared for a G strike (counter strike measures put in place under Emergency Powers Act? Just playing waiting game?

• B failed to negotiate a settlement with TUC (even tho TUC = less militant than miners and wanted to negotiate a settlement to avoid a G strike) When Daily Mail refused to print editorial, he ended talks 3rd May and declared state of emergency (wanted to maintain unity in C party- Churchill wanted showdown)

Counter arguments to why the Gov is to blame

• GS aimed to strengthen pound to pre-war parity with dollar (didn’t realise long term econ weaknesses x support such a strong pound)

• Subsidy was intended to find a long term solution through the Samuel report

• Both sides rejected SR (x solved anything). Only thing that could have prevented strike was restoring subsidy but SR blocked that not Baldwin

• What could he have negotiated? Wage cuts= only solution but renewal of subsidy would involve major clampdown

How did the Actions of the TUC/ miners/ owners contribute to the General strike?

• MO rarely invested profits for development and let other countries overtake Britain in techniques and infrastructure (response was to reduce wages and lengthen working day) Rejected Samuel report (fearing sharing profits and amalgamation of mines) 29th April: Lock out miners for refusing wage cuts

• Miners desperately wanted a 6 hour working day, 30% pay increase and nationalisation of mines; reacted badly to SR “not a penny off the pay, not a second on the day”; 1st May miners voted for strike- refused to concede; 2nd May printers of Daily Mail went on strike and refused to print editorial ‘for king and country’. Ended talks instantly

• TUC: despite lack of trust between Us since BF, saw involvement as essential by 1925 as other industries would soon be affected by wage cuts; following lock out powers granted to General Council for conducting dispute and coordinating strike action; Jimmy Thomas- poster for recruits seen as provocation 1st May: TUC voted G strike in sympathy to miners

• STTIKE IS UNAVOIDABLE

Counter arguments for TUC miner and mine owner involvement

• Long term econ problems caused by WW1 (especially fall in production/ demand d’or coal and price of coal- owners had little choice. Gold standard exacerbated problems

• Miners could not accept wage reductions and were forced into impossible situation by inflexibility of Samuel report and Baldwins refusal to negotiate

• TUC had no choice - x let down miners after Black Friday and no wage increases were possible or even considered by B. TUC= less militant than miners and would have negotiated but B overreacted to DM printers industrial action and refuses delegation from GC on 3rd May. He ended talks not TUC

What were the long term causes of the General Strike?

• Shrinking of staple industries - coal, steel, textiles, heavy engineering (accounted for 50% of Bs ind output and 70% of exports before WW1)

• Continued after 1919 and little was done to modernise techniques (unlike USA and Germany) competition increased (vs USA, Poland, Germany) 1918- Bri coal = vulnerable despite reprieve in 1923 when French invaded Ruhr

• Coal ind suffered most intensely- powered ind rev till 1913 but post war some countries didn’t need to import coal and found other cheaper sources (oil, gas, electricity).

Counter arguments for long term causes:

• Problems were compounded by decision to return to gold standard in 1925 which inflated price of exports by 10%

• - Mine owners exacerbated problems by rarely reinvesting profits for development and allowed B to be overtaken. Response was rigid - passed down problems to workforce. Caused series of problems especially since miners blamed Gov for failing to nationalise mines and invest money