How were the unions affected by WWI? - Bonuses given to workers in key trades, e.g. dockers →
given in fixed sums and were able to benefit the least-paid
What are trade unions? - Labour coalition in Asquith’s gov’t 1915 secured trade union
- Organisation that represents workers voice in gov’t
- Able to use collective pressure to apply more pressure on
employers British industry
- 1868 - formed the TUC in Manchester → administrative - Declined due to shortage of raw materials
and organisational council that helped unions work tgt - ⅓ male population were at war
- TUC had no formal power but was able to apply pressure - Mainly mining, coal, ron and steel, engineering and
- Trade union m/ship grew rapidly during the war: shipbuilding affected
→ 1913 - 4.2m
Living conditions
→ 1919 - 8.1m
- Decline in industry led to a decline in living conditions
- Triple Alliance
- Cost of living rose
→ formed in 1914/15 - Demand for 20% wage increase
→ Nat’l Transport Workers’ Union (NTWF), Nat’l Union of
Railwaymen (NUR), Miners’ federation (MFGB) Influential figures
Bevin
What were the effects of the war on unions? Trade union work
- Industrial conflict increased before WWI over issues of pay - Grew up working on the Bristol docks and received very little
and working conditions formal education
- Protested for syndicalism → workers believed that they - Became the trade union official for Dockers Union 1911
could improve their social and economic situation through - Elected executive committee member of NWTF:
→ formed the NWTF policy
industrial measures
→ key decision-maker in forming the Triple Alliance
- Trade unions were not essential during the war as workers
already had strong representative voices - Attempted and failed as a parliamentary candidate for Bristol
1918
Benefits of WWI on the w/class: - General secretary for the Transport and General Union 1922
- 5m men enlisted → workforce of 15m remained After WWI
- Leading figure in developing the Labour party
- Skilled workers were given a stronger bargaining position
- Appointed as minister of labour by Churchill during WWII
→ 1918 S Wales - 200,000 miners went on strike and were able to
- Became the foreign secretary in 1945 under Attlee
have their demands agreed to
, Thomas - Employer power > employee power
- Born in Newport
- Started work at 12 as an errand boy
- Joined ASRSU as a full-time organiser
- Became the labour MP for Derby in 1910 → organised the Red Clydeside
1911 strike - Nicknamed after the strong association w/ socialist politics in
- Became general secretary of NUR in 1916 Clydeside, Scotland
- Supported Lloyd-George’s coalition gov’t → secured - Held a significant proportion of munitions factories
workers’ pay and conditions
Influential figures
- 1921-4 - worked on the TUC general council
Shinwell
- Grew up in Glasgow and worked from age of 11
Munitions of War Act 1915
- Joined Glasgow Trades council 1906
- Gov’t response to fears over insufficient shell and ammunition
- Involved in 1911 nat’l dock strikes
production
- Worked as a local secretary of the Glasgow branch of the
- Private companies supplying essential wartime supplies were
seafarers’ union
brought under the authority of the ministry of munitions
→ became a key figure in securing support from the seafarers in the
Advantages 40-hr strike
- Empowered to resolve industrial conflicts - Became the labour MP in 1922
- Gov’t committee would arbitrate disagreements between
workers and employers to ensure efficient production Maxton
- Committee would determine nat’l wage rates - revised every 4 - Born in Glasgow into a Conservative family
months - Turned to socialism
- Granted 12.5% bonus in 1917 to skilled workers - was - Joined ILP in 1904 → became leading member 1912
extended after strikes - Opposed Britain’s involvement in WWI
- Organised factory and shipyard strikes
Disadvantages - Arrested 1916 for sedition
- Dilution of workers - unskilled and semi-skilled workers were - 1913-19 - chairman for the Scottish labour party
needed for skilled work - Key figure in ‘Red Clydeside’
- 1 job was broken down into less complex tasks - Became the Glasgow MP in 1922
- Skilled workers felt jobs were at risk - Led the ‘socialism in our time’ campaign in 1925 and became
- Certificates given to workers for a certain workplace - much leader of the ILP
harder to move jobs
given in fixed sums and were able to benefit the least-paid
What are trade unions? - Labour coalition in Asquith’s gov’t 1915 secured trade union
- Organisation that represents workers voice in gov’t
- Able to use collective pressure to apply more pressure on
employers British industry
- 1868 - formed the TUC in Manchester → administrative - Declined due to shortage of raw materials
and organisational council that helped unions work tgt - ⅓ male population were at war
- TUC had no formal power but was able to apply pressure - Mainly mining, coal, ron and steel, engineering and
- Trade union m/ship grew rapidly during the war: shipbuilding affected
→ 1913 - 4.2m
Living conditions
→ 1919 - 8.1m
- Decline in industry led to a decline in living conditions
- Triple Alliance
- Cost of living rose
→ formed in 1914/15 - Demand for 20% wage increase
→ Nat’l Transport Workers’ Union (NTWF), Nat’l Union of
Railwaymen (NUR), Miners’ federation (MFGB) Influential figures
Bevin
What were the effects of the war on unions? Trade union work
- Industrial conflict increased before WWI over issues of pay - Grew up working on the Bristol docks and received very little
and working conditions formal education
- Protested for syndicalism → workers believed that they - Became the trade union official for Dockers Union 1911
could improve their social and economic situation through - Elected executive committee member of NWTF:
→ formed the NWTF policy
industrial measures
→ key decision-maker in forming the Triple Alliance
- Trade unions were not essential during the war as workers
already had strong representative voices - Attempted and failed as a parliamentary candidate for Bristol
1918
Benefits of WWI on the w/class: - General secretary for the Transport and General Union 1922
- 5m men enlisted → workforce of 15m remained After WWI
- Leading figure in developing the Labour party
- Skilled workers were given a stronger bargaining position
- Appointed as minister of labour by Churchill during WWII
→ 1918 S Wales - 200,000 miners went on strike and were able to
- Became the foreign secretary in 1945 under Attlee
have their demands agreed to
, Thomas - Employer power > employee power
- Born in Newport
- Started work at 12 as an errand boy
- Joined ASRSU as a full-time organiser
- Became the labour MP for Derby in 1910 → organised the Red Clydeside
1911 strike - Nicknamed after the strong association w/ socialist politics in
- Became general secretary of NUR in 1916 Clydeside, Scotland
- Supported Lloyd-George’s coalition gov’t → secured - Held a significant proportion of munitions factories
workers’ pay and conditions
Influential figures
- 1921-4 - worked on the TUC general council
Shinwell
- Grew up in Glasgow and worked from age of 11
Munitions of War Act 1915
- Joined Glasgow Trades council 1906
- Gov’t response to fears over insufficient shell and ammunition
- Involved in 1911 nat’l dock strikes
production
- Worked as a local secretary of the Glasgow branch of the
- Private companies supplying essential wartime supplies were
seafarers’ union
brought under the authority of the ministry of munitions
→ became a key figure in securing support from the seafarers in the
Advantages 40-hr strike
- Empowered to resolve industrial conflicts - Became the labour MP in 1922
- Gov’t committee would arbitrate disagreements between
workers and employers to ensure efficient production Maxton
- Committee would determine nat’l wage rates - revised every 4 - Born in Glasgow into a Conservative family
months - Turned to socialism
- Granted 12.5% bonus in 1917 to skilled workers - was - Joined ILP in 1904 → became leading member 1912
extended after strikes - Opposed Britain’s involvement in WWI
- Organised factory and shipyard strikes
Disadvantages - Arrested 1916 for sedition
- Dilution of workers - unskilled and semi-skilled workers were - 1913-19 - chairman for the Scottish labour party
needed for skilled work - Key figure in ‘Red Clydeside’
- 1 job was broken down into less complex tasks - Became the Glasgow MP in 1922
- Skilled workers felt jobs were at risk - Led the ‘socialism in our time’ campaign in 1925 and became
- Certificates given to workers for a certain workplace - much leader of the ILP
harder to move jobs
