Trade Unions
The Triple Alliance:
Formed between 1914 and 1915 between the National Transport Workers’ Union, the National Union of Railwaymen and
the Miners’ Federation. They agreed ti sympathy strike to support each other.
Council of Action (1920):
A political action organisation created by the Trade Unions and the Labour Party to prevent Britain getting involved in the
Russo-Polish War. Supported by about 500 local councils of action. Raised tension between working and middle classes.
Formation of the AEU and the TGWU:
Amalgamated Engineering Union was an alliance of 9 engineering unions formed in 1921. Members were all skilled
craftsmen so could afford to pay a shilling a week, making the AEU financially stable with economic resources to fund
strikes.
Glasgow Rent Strike (1915): 40 Hour Strike (1919):
- Causes: overcrowding, awful conditions, landlords started increasing rents - Workers in Glasgow went on strike for a
(especially as many men were away fighting so landlords thought the women 40-hour working week. Strikers became
would be a soft touch). violent and troops intervened. The red flag
was raised during the Battle of George
- The Glasgow Women’s Housing Association took up the issue, committees Square.
were formed, and posters printed with ‘Rent Strike. We Are Not Removing’ were
placed in windows of houses. - Causes of such a big strike: extension of
working class male vote in 1918, post-war
- Whenever the Bailiff’s Officer appeared, the woman on watchout would ring a economic struggles, Trade Union
bell, and the other women hurried to where the alarm was being raised and membership increase from 4 to 6 million,
threw flour bombs, wet clothes etc. at the bailiffs until they left. The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, men
- Mary Barbour was involved in every aspect of the strikes. She also got men returned to work after the war, patriotism
from the shipyards in Govan to come out in support, as thousands of women died down and workers wanted change.
marched with thousands of shipyard and engineering workers. - Outcomes: government fear evident as
- By November 1915 as many as 20,000 tenants were on rent strike and rent English tanks sent into Scotland and
strike activity was spreading beyond Glasgow to other parts of the country. troops defended Glasgow Cathedral,
working week reduced to 47 hours, strike
- Parliament passed the Rent Restriction Act, the first of its kind in Europe,
