Trade Unions 1790-1871
- Created by: maelysmay
- Created on: 14-05-16 15:04
View mindmap
- Trade Unionism from 1790-1871
- Trade Societies
- Tolpuddle Martyrs
- 1834 - group arrested for swearing allegiance to friendly society
- Sent to Australia
- Cotton workers strike in Lancashire in 1810 and 1818 w/ other trades threatened nationwide stoppage
- ended after 5 members of PH arrested
- Workers not united still
- In 1834 in Derby workers were locked out of their mill for 4 months
- Encouraged use of The Document and knobsticks
- Tolpuddle Martyrs
- Friendly Societies
- Born out of men's social gatherings
- Groups included "The Buffalos" and "Hearts of Oak" - strong names
- Initially for supporting widows - later provided insurance, saving, pensions and loans
- Workers who came together to provide mutual support to make up for lack in gvt
- 1793 Friendly Societies Act
- Required societies to register w/ local JPs and set out rules under which they governed themselves
- Attempt by Tories to halt radical interests
- However by 1803 8% of the population was a member
- 1855 Friendly Societies Act
- Removed rules about registration to JPs - replaced by a central Registrar
- More supportive of funds and activities
- Less threatening than TUs.
- Grew because of industrialisation
- Cooperative Societies
- Rochdale Pioneers
- Founded in 1844 as one of the first cooperative socities
- Started by 28 skilled workers
- Visualised a better social order - inspired by New Lanark
- Membership after 1 year was 74, takings £710
- A general store to sell honest goods at honest prices
- Although they struggled economically in the 50s, they survived and bounced back in the 60s
- Other groups adopted their principles and they spread overseas
- Some profit given to education
- New Lanark
- Bought by Robert Owen (utopian socialist) in 1800
- Believed state ownership & moderate treatment could eradicate poverty
- Provided education and moral direction - believed happy workers were better workers
- Owen campaigned for better working conditions
- Set up Britain's first infant school in 1816
- His ideas travelled abroad and inspired other model villages like Saltaire
- Bought by Robert Owen (utopian socialist) in 1800
- Cooperative movement
- Grew from 1785
- Encouraged mutual support for mutual benefit in the workplace
- Rochdale Pioneers
- New Model Unionism
- Single craft unions - started with ASE and followed their setup in 1851
- Preferred not to strike - had more moderate methods winning them middle-class support
- Created a centralised union w/ subscription fee
- Government responded more positively to their more moderate attitude
- Their growth in popularity meant they had to be listened to
- Relevant to government bc of skilled workers
- Peel recognised necessity - industrial growth required them
- Skilled workers enfranchised in 1867 reform act
- Single craft unions - started with ASE and followed their setup in 1851
- Early Trade Unions
- Grand National Consolidated Trades Union 1834
- Estimated to have 1 million members but no official records
- No membership fee, no strike fund, no influence
- The Document led to its collapse in 1835 under financial pressure
- Instilled sense of unity and solidarity
- President was Robert Owen
- Philanthropic Hercules 1818 - London, attempted to unite workers from many trades
- Illegal under comination acts. 5 members arrested
- Grand General Union of Operative Spinners 1829 aimed to unite local unions - collapsed by 1830
- Labour Exchange Bazaar
- Founded in 1832 by Robert Owen
- Rent was exorbitant for premises
- Aimed to promote exchange of commodities by giving equal values of labour rather than money
- Wanted to reward workers fairly
- Had to move around London lots, eventually ending up in Fitzroy Square.
- Grand National Consolidated Trades Union 1834
- Trades Union Congress & London Trades Council
- TUC formed in 1868 out of Junta meetings (union leaders like Applegarth, Allan etc)
- George Potter and William Dronfield (former UKAOT secretary) crucial to its foundation
- Wanted to eliminate individualism - first attempt at a national union
- LTC formed out of failure of GNCTU and UKAOT
- Dominated by Junta leaders
- Had 100,000 affiliates by 1866 but still not national
- Started the formation of other trades councils which were by nature individuals
- TUC formed in 1868 out of Junta meetings (union leaders like Applegarth, Allan etc)
- Sheffield Outrages 1866
- Violent actions by saw grinders' union in Sheffield
- explosions set off, Broadhead (union secretary) paid 2 workmen to murder Linley who wanted to employ cheap apprentices
- Accused of arson
- Led to fall of UKAOT, which had represented 200,000 workers
- Violent actions by saw grinders' union in Sheffield
- Trade Union Acts
- 1867 Royal Commission
- Majority & Minority reports drawn up.
- Liberal gvt legalised trade unions in 1871
- Combination Acts 1799-1800 (repealed 1824)
- Made unions illegal - William Pitt
- Allowed trials before JPs and 3 month sentences to organisers
- 1820 - economic times improving so gvt could afford to be more liberal
- Severity lessened in 1800 but remained unpopular
- Mostly used Unlawful Oaths act
- Repealed due to unpopularity and inefficiency
- Master and Servant Act 1823
- Increased liberalism but sympathies still w/ employers
- Made breaking of verbal or written contract punishable by prison
- 1857-1875 - 10,000 prosecutions per year
- TUs technically legal after repeal of Combinations
- Gvt wariness remained
- Harsh punishments used in economically suffering south
- Agitation manifested already in Swing Riots 1830
- Unlawful Oaths Act 1797
- Often used instead of the combination acts because it held harsher punishments
- Used to prosecute Tolpuddle Martyrs
- 1867 Royal Commission
- Trade Societies
Similar History resources:
Teacher recommended
Comments
No comments have yet been made