trade unions + new unionism

• Grand National Consolidated Trade Union
• combined workers in all trades
• 16,000 members (claimed 500,000)
• proposed 'national holiday' to raise wages
• disintegrated in 1834 → many turned to political action

• 6 agricultural labourers
• brief public protests due to unfair treatment + bad wages
• sent to australia
• public protests → money raised for families
• money raised → pardon in 1837 → support of public

• Trade Union Congress
• founded 1868, Manchester by Gladstone's liberal govt.
• miners, farmers, engineers
• national forum
• co-ordination of demands

1871 trade union act - established legal status of trade unions

• women in east london: dangerous chemicals
• match girls forced to work
• girls forced to carry boxes until heads rubbed off
• phosphorus in matches

• annie besant: powerful speaker, publicised protest
• The Link: besant's weekly journal

• article of grievances appeared in The Link
• workers refused to sign document saying that they were 'fairly treated'
• STRIKES
• 50 girls (with annie) to parliament to demand fairer wage
• WON after 5 weeks
• 1st strike / union of unskilled women

• 14th august 1889
• principal grievance : dockers' tanner, a rate of sixpence an hour
• economic slump 1880-90 → bad wages

• 100,000 strikers
• victory

• dock strikers / new unions: 1st unskilled workers' unions
• noted for large, peaceful processions; impressed middle class opinion, won sympathy for the strikers' cause
• attracted political figures, e.g. Labour leader Thomas Mann
• established strong trade unions amongst London dockers, one of which became the nationally important Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union.