Causes

Development

Consequences

Significance

Opposing new technology

There were many groups who fought against the changes in industry for example The Luddites and the Swing Rioters.

Working conditions

Since Medieval times there had been workers’ guilds that controlled prices and wages. Before the industrial Revolution businesses were small and terms and conditions were negotiated by individuals. The work was mainly fair and conditions good, however, this changed with the movement to factory work and people living in cities.

Beginning in 1811, the Luddites deliberately broke machinery in the hope that the factory owners would turn away from technology. This did not have the desired effect.

Combination Act 1825 – trade unions were allowed to talk about wages and conditions. Any other discussions were made illegal. Aimed to stop the threat of intimidation by groups of workers. Weakened the power of the unions even though it was quite unclear.

Starting in 1830, the Swing Rioters were angry about the depression after the Napoleonic wars and by new threshing machines. They set fire to farms and damaged the machinery. This did not change life for them.

Robert Owen set up the GNCTU (Grand National Consolidated Trade Union) in 1833. It was to join all unions together in one organisation. Within a week of being set up it had 500,000 members and the government was worried.

In 1834 the GNCTU fell apart when 6 farm labourers (The Tolpuddle Martyrs) were arrested for swearing an oath to protect their income. This was illegal and it ruined the impact of the GNCTU.

The Scottish Friendly Association of Cotton Spinners took strike action in 1837 by using violence such as harassing people who were willing to work for less and even shooting them. They ran out of funds and the strike ended.

1851 – New type of union set up called the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE). These were skilled men who could afford weekly subscription fees to ensure they would receive sick pay. They couldn’t be replaced easily if they went on strike so it gave them bargaining power. This sparked a wave of New Model Unions.

The New Model Unions of the 1860s and 1870s didn’t want to change the structure that they worked in, they just wanted to improve it from within. This meant that they gained support because they didn’t want to destroy the system of work.

By 1868 the ASE had 33,000 members.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) was established in 1868 to hold an annual meeting of delegates from across the country.

By the 1870s trade unions had legal status and members could picket for their rights.

1888 saw the match girls strike led by Annie Besant have success even though they were unskilled workers.

In 1889, the dock workers strike closed the Port of London to stop for a whole day on 22nd August. Lasted through to September and were supported by other workers. They were successful.

New Model Unions were created from 1851. The reason that they were seen as ‘new model’ was because they were moderate in their outlook; they accepted the structure that they worked in, and did not want to destroy it. Instead, they wanted to negotiate improvement from within. This helped trade unionism to gain support from the government.

Short term

1870s – Trade unions had legal status and members could picket for their rights.
New Model Unions benefitted the skilled workers.
The New Model Unions had not helped the unskilled workers and in the 1880s, they organised action themselves for example the Match girls and the Dockers Strike.

Long term

There was a shift to changing organisations from within by negotiation with the New Model Unions.

The strength of trade unions paved the wat for a move into politics. The Independent Labour Party was established and in the 20th Century this became the Labour Party that we still have today.

The Growth of Trade Unions