Case Study 9- 19th Union Movement

Unions

organised association of workers that protect the workers’ rights and conditions

Guilds

an association of people for mutual aid or the pursuit of a common goal

Combinations Act

allowed workers to come together to form Trade Unions to meet and discuss better pay and conditions but it made intimidation of workers, strikes and picketing illegal

Robert Owen

Formed the GNCTU and owned the New Lanark mill

GNCTU

Grand National Consolidated Trade Union- tried to join all Trade Unions together. It was a failure, as it failed to organise itself

Tolpuddle Martyrs

6 agricultural labourers that were arrested for swearing an oath to form a secret trade union to protest against their dwindling pay

Strikes

a refusal to work organised by a body of employees as a form of protest

Picketing

persuading the co-workers to support them in the industrial action and for a cause by forming a line outside their workplace, preventing anyone from entering the workplace

New Model Unions

unions that protect skilled workers

ASE

Amalgamated Society of Engineers- the first New Model Union to succeed

New Unionism

unions that protect unskilled workers

Match Girls

women workers in the matchbox industry

Annie Beasant

an influential journalist who helped the Match Girls

Dockers

men who worked on the London docks

Ben Tillet

a socialist, who led the Dockers’ Strike

Social Causes

* Poor living and working conditions
* The Industrial Revolution changed the labour and need for skilled workers
* Migration from the countryside to the city means there’s a surplus of people to work

Political/ Legal Causes

* The Workers’ Guild (used to control wages and prices but only skilled craftsmen could join)
* Violent opposition of skilled workers (Luddites & Swing Movement)
* The Combinations Act

Economic Causes

Wages are low for workers

Role of Individuals

* Annie Beasant
* Ben Tillet
* Robert Owens
* George Loveless

1825

* The violent opposition of skilled workers (Luddites & Swing Movement)
* The Combinations Act is passed

1833

* Robert Owens forms the GNCTU- fails to organise itself
* Co-op shops are set up as a result of this

1834

* Tolpuddle Martyrs- 6 labourers arrested and sent to Australia (penal colony)


* Petitions organised by William Cobbett were signed and 10,000 GNCTU members marched at Copenhagen Field and the labourers were freed

1837

* Scottish Friendly Association of Cotton Spinners go on strike
* Shows failure of violent methods- they threw acid on co-workers who didn’t want to protest

1851

Amalgamated Society of Engineers- successful New Model Union (33,000 members by 1868)

1888

* Match Girls- the workers got phossy jaw (rotten jaws, teeth falling out because of phosphorous in the matches)
* They also had poor pay- 20p a day but reduced by fines for being late and not working enough
* They went on strikes, teamed up with Annie Beasant to spread the “White Slaves of London” message and boycott Bryant and May matches

Impact of the Match Girls strike

* It was a success and they got their pay increase and the removal of the system of deduction
* First successful strike by unskilled workers
* Victory for New Unionism
* It was the start of women looking for rights

1889

* London Dockers- went on strike for their pay to increase from 5p to 6p a day and to get a guaranteed of 4 hours a day
* Led by Ben Tillet, they marched in London, picketed London docks and pressuried other workers who refused to strike and continued to work (they were called blacklegs)
* Influential Londoners like the Lord Mayor and Cardinal Manning negotiated with dock owners

Impacts of the Dockers’ Strike

* They got their pay rise and a guaranteed 4 hours a day
* Victory for New Unionism
* Many unskilled workers started to join unions
* It showed the success of militant methods of protest

Short Term Outcomes

* Co-op shops introduced
* The Unions won
* Bryant and May matches increased wages and removed the systems of deductions
* First successful strikes by unskilled workers
* Dockers got their pay rise and a guaranteed 4 hours a day
* Victory for New Unionism

Long Term Outcomes

* Inspired Chartists and future unions
* Success of peaceful protest
* Success of militant methods of protest
* helped form future Trade Unions
* Start of women looking for rights (The Suffrage Movement)
* Many unskilled workers join together