History Of Trade Unions Term paper
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In 1867, the Trade Union movement in Britain was limited to a mere 5% of the working class. They were uncoordinated and unsupported by the law. In fact, had the government, or even employers, cracked down on them they could easily have been crushed. Yet by 1900, they have millions of members, legal protection and strong political influence.
The early trade unions consisted mainly of artisans, skilled workers who could afford to pay the comparatively high subscription charges. Strangely, it is this exclusivity in their early stages which allowed the trade unions to grow into massive and widespread organisations. These early trade unionists did not see themselves as socialist revolutionaries destined to overturn the social ladder; instead they had no political agenda. They wanted only to be constitutional and respectable, they saw striking as a last resort. Although this early strategy was not successful, it allowed the trade unions to develop, if they were militant whilst they were weak they would have been crushed quickly.
They were saved from insignificance by some truly brilliant leaders, union leaders such as Guile (engineers), Coulson (bricklayers), Potter (carpenters) and particularly Applegarth, realised that the only way the trade unions would be strong was by consolidation. Thus in 1860 they formed the London Trades Council, they were moving towards a national platform but they still needed legal backing, not in the least to avoid the legal theft of trade union funds, a practice pioneered by Close in 1867.
The necessary legal support came from the unlikeliest of origins. A particularly avid trade unionist in Sheffield took it on himself to show non-trade unionists the error of their ways, by assault, intimidation and arson. Employers seized the opportunity to over react and demanded for a Royal Commission to investigate the conduct of trade unions, the government eagerly agreed, and both were prepared to hammer the trade unions when the damning verdict was returned. Had the Royal Commission gone against the trade unions there would have been little they could do to save themselves. However, the trade union movement was saved by the oratorical skills of Robert Applegarth, allowed on to the commission to represent the trade unions, he incredibly managed to persuade the commission that trade unions were necessary to lift the unbearable oppression from the working class, and that the outrages were not support by the amalgamated societies. The Royal Commission s verdict, surprisingly, in favour of trade union legislation and the unions held their strongest position ever. The result of this enquiry, combined with the increase of the working class vote resulted in a rush of trade union legislation from both Liberal and conservative governments, Gladstone's Trade Union Act (1871) and Disraeli s Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (1875). The unions now had legal recognition, giving them credibility and a strong base from which to grow.
The strong leadership again helped the consolidation of the trade unions, at a time when militancy and extremist action would have brought short-term aim; the leaders aimed for long-term strength. Realising the importance of public opinion, the unions remained peaceful even when it was not the best option for short-term gain. For example, the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants didn t sponsor a single strike for 17 years. This approach led to a reserved acceptance from employers and the necessary public support when the strikes did eventually come.
The trade union movement now had respectability and strength, yet it only represented the most aristocratic of the working class, for the...
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