A Level Pitt to Peel History Notes - Pressure Groups Topic. 12 pages of full in-depth notes and analysis. Everything you need to prepare for the exam including facts, figures and analysis (plus exam questions). I did very well in the exam using these notes, notes made from multiple textbooks so ext...
Trade Unions:
What were trade unions?
Characteristics
o Niche unions representing specific trades
Importance
Challenges
National associations
o NAPL
o GNCTU
Combinations often resorted to secrecy and held meetings at night with passwords,
symbols and oaths of loyalty
The laws of 1799 against illegal oaths and against combinations in general were not
introducing anything new but were a ‘belt and braces’ provision against any possible
disorder
The trade organisations became skilful in concealing their meetings, helping their
members by raising funds to support them and intimidating employers and blacklegs
who continued to work during trade disputes
Even as late as 1850, there were 250,000 union members but the earlier unions were
more widespread and active
Challenges to unions:
Fear of losing job if they take action and be discriminated against if they are known to be
in a union
Fear of what it brings upon their wives and families
Striking workers insufficiently funded – therefore accept lower wages
Blacklegs – those that were brought in from other districts that worked during strikes
Knobsticks – people who weren’t unionised workers that worked during strikes
Unlawful acts from union members bring them into persecution from authorities
New machinery, especially in textiles, which reduced the competitiveness of many
traditional trades
A new unskilled workforce of women, children and unskilled workers who could be
trained to use new machinery quickly and were not protected by any organisation
The ending of apprenticeship rules which had insisted on long periods of work before
boys could work as tradesmen
The repression of protests generally and new laws like the Combination Acts
The determination of employers to oppose unions
Striking met limited success – employers determined to resist
Repression of protest supported by employers and government
o Some employers made workers sign ‘the Document’ banning union membership
o Employers made threats against workers joining unions – 7 years transportation
, How did Trade Unions develop after the repeal of the Combination acts?
1824 – Repeal of Combination Acts of 1799
o It was hoped that making unions legal would stop strikes and unrest
o Considerable growth of union activity after repeal
1825 – Amendment of Combinations Acts
o Act modified to exclude picketing as a tactic to intimidate those who wanted to
work
o Unions remained free to negotiate over wages, conditions and hours worked but
all other activities were liable to be considered as criminal conspiracies operating
in restraint of trade
1829 – NAPL (National Association for the Protection of Labour)
o Formed by John Doherty from twenty different skilled trades, mostly in
Lancashire and Cheshire with 70,000 members
o Attracted diverse membership including miners, pottery, weaves and textile
workers
o Had a weekly publication called the ‘Voice of the People’
o Didn’t include all unions and couldn’t sustain an effective organisation beyond
1833
o A strong element was protest about the threats to handloom weaving and
domestic work
o Different trades had different issues – builders objected to architects using
general contractors who employed unskilled workers rather than the relevant
master craftsmen
o Union activity was still associated with violence, the Merthyr Rising was an
example of this
1831 – Merthyr Rising
o In May 1831, coal and steel workers employed by the Crawshay family took to
the streets of Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales calling for reform
o They protested against the lowering of their wages and levels of general
unemployment
o Gradually the protest spread to nearby industrial towns and villages
o By the end of May, the whole area was in rebellion and armed forces had to be
used
o Twenty people were shot by troops and the ringleaders were tried and hanged
1834 – GNCTU
o Originated among the trades of London and was mainly an association of tailors,
silk weaves and shoemakers
o Was supported by a successful cotton manufacturer, Robert Owen, who had a
strong belief in socialist ideas and in organising workers for reform
o Had some innovative features:
Mutual support during strikes as workers from different trades and
industry supported each other
A fund to provide sickness benefits
Some inclusion of women workers
Inclusion of some agricultural workers
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