GC

industrial relations

changing industrial relations 1918-39

British industry hadn’t moved on since Victorian era. In 1918, there was reliance on heavy industry like mining, shipbuilding and railway.

Unions had shared interests and became known as the ‘triple alliance’ which resulted in sympathy strikes that affected multiple industries

  • Northern industry suffered declining demand

    • Special areas act, Jarrow crusade

  • New industries like car manufacturing and hospitality emerged in the south

    • Recovery and housing

—> Disparity in wealth

  • Spike in trade union membership during WW1, 6.5 million by 1918

  • Unions more able to negotiate wages and conditions since gov wanted full employment and couldn’t risk people out of work from strikes

  • Gov had power to subject union members to military tribunals during the war but 35 mil days still lost to strikes

Red Clydeside:

  • Glasgow trade council suggested strike for 54—>40 hour work week

  • 90,000 demonstrators in George Square with red socialist flag

  • Riots caused tanks and soldiers deployed and their goal was never achieved but labour negotiated it to 47 hours

  • Gov acquiesced over fear of communist revolution

1921 miners strike:

  • MFGB wanted to strike because of privatisation that cut wages and lengthened hours to compete with foreign coal trade

  • Miners strike could be fixed by importing foreign coal but if dock workers refused to unload and rail workers refused to move coal then strike would succeed, however NWTF and NUR didn’t want to strike

  • MFGB thought it would get support from other unions, but didn’t want to involve them in negotiations, members and leaders wary of consequences of strike since they couldn’t be apart of negotiating

  • Eventually, they walked out and forced to accept pay cuts

1926 general strike:

  • Baldwin’s decision to keep pound on gs meant that mine owners had depleted profits and miners experienced pay cuts

  • Gov feared a general strike, so established £23 million subsidy to maintain miner’s pay until 1926. Samuel commission recommended 13.5% pay cut for miners after subsidy but miners refused the cuts

  • TUC announced strike and gov had to respond via paper and radio propaganda (e.g British Gazette) and organisation for the maintenance of supplies had volunteers take over work

  • Labour distances itself from strikes and TUC only let unions involved strike (e.g miners, railway ect.)

  • Miners went back to work after an injunction was granted that the unions involved would be responsible for damages

  • Wages cut, industry lost 30% of jobs and trade disputes act 1927 stopped mass picketing and sympathy strikes

War work:

  • 33% of population were in war work, 7 million were women

  • Opportunities, conditions and wages improved at workplaces (e.g canteens, medical, radio)

  • Control of employment act 1939 used to allow semi-skilled workers work in skilled jobs

  • Workers in essential industries were exempt from military service

  • Bevin boys

  • 1943, 10% of men sent to coal mines instead of war

  • Mines lost 36,000 of workforce that needed to be replaced

  • Strikes surrounding pay

  • They were seen poorly socially because people thought they were deserters

changing industrial relations 1939-79

  • Shop steward — workplace union representative who is in charge of taking worker grievances to company management

  • Wild cat strikes — strikes that take place without consulting TUC or gov organisations

  • White paper — government report which results in proposals on a divisive issue

Workers wanted Wilson in power because he would be sympathetic (presented himself as working class, son of a miner, who will support people and unions). However, if he does what unions say then he will be seen as a pushover who isn’t thinking about the whole country or economy (still in debt to USA).

  • 1969, Barbara castle compiled white paper called ‘in place of strife’:

    • Gov could order strike ballot to make sure strikes weren’t big enough to damage economy

    • Unofficial strikes led by militant shop stewards could be called back for 28 day cool off periods

    • Industrial board decided on legally binding verdicts during union disputes

    • Fines and prison for breaking the rules

  • Scargill — flying pickets with miners to blockade power stations and coal depots to reduce electricity

  • 1973 oil crisis made Britain dependant on coal, NUM called strikes to cut electricity generation, upset with living standards and unfulfilled expectations of nationalisation

  • State of emergency and 3 day week called, electricity only on working days

  • Heath ‘who governs Britain?’ at the polls but voters saw him as weak when dealing with unions

  • Wilson comes back but has to appease unions

    • Social contract set out limits for pay rises, rather than free pay bargaining

  • Callaghan’s gov was full of striking, especially in public sector and gravediggers in Liverpool

    • Free pay bargaining reinstated which caused inflation and led to winter of discontent