AQA GCSE History Paper 2A - Power and the People - Chapter 11 - Workers' Rights

TOPIC 11: Workers’ Rights and Trade Union Reform

 

During the war the coal mines had been nationalised. This meant that the country owned them and the government paid for them, thus securing jobs. However, after the war the mines returned to private owners, meaning competition for jobs had sparked up again.

As a result of the war:

·       Demand for coal fell à price of coal fell à wages fell.

·       Other countries began mass-producing coal at a much cheaper price.

The government was left with very few options:

Option

Impact

1)    Close down mines

·       People were out of jobs à people resorted to their unions to appeal.

·       Other mines made more money.

2)    Re-nationalise the mines

·       The government would own the mines à mine-owners would lose out.

·       Guaranteed work and pay for the workers.

3)    Introduce machines

·       Fewer workers needed à more unemployment.

 

Event

Details

Impact on workers

Black Friday

Friday 15^th April 1921 the mine-owners extended the working day and lowered wages. The TUC called a strike and at the last minute the dockers and rail-workers pulled out.

They had longer days and less pay. It also showed them up as unable to actually follow through with threats.

Red Friday

Due to a decrease in coal price in 1925 the mine-owners docked pay. PM Stanley Baldwin knew that unions would not stand for this and so he subsidised the coal industry and set up the Samuels Commission.

Britain was preparing for the General Strike and so when it happened the workers would not have as much of an impact. However, some miners were happy.

In April 1926, the…