New Liberalism: How Important was Industrial Unrest to the Liberal Government?

• 1910-1914 had sustained industrial unrest
• The wave of strikes that started in 1910 were accompanied by bitterness and violence

The Miner's Strike, South Wales

• November 1910 - October 1911
• Dispute over wages for difficult and abnormal seams in the coal pits
• November 1910, some miners refused pay offered by their conciliation board
  • 800 miners were locked out
• Riots occurred to persuade colleagues to join the mining strike which were wort in Tonypandy
• Chief Constable of Glamorgan asked the Home Secretary, Winston Churchill, to send troops to restore order
• Churchill refused as he feared it would only make matters worse
• 300 extra policemen were sent from London to Rhonddha Valleys
  • After this Churchill lost following in South Wales as people thought he sent troops to kill the miners
• Spring 1911: 30,000 miners were on strike
• October 1911: Destitution forced workers back to work
  • Nothing was achieved and there was no government resolution

Strike Numbers

• 1907: 1.5 million to 4 million days lost each year due to strikes
• 1908: the number jumped to 10 million
• 1912: Strikes were at a massive 41 million

Railway Strike, August 1911

•  First ever national railway strike
• Refused a pay offer determined by their conciliation board
• Government intervened as they needed the railways, this shows their priorities
• The strike was settled in 2 days due to negotiating skills of David Lloyd George
• It settled in the Unions favour

The triple alliance

• Trade Union amalgamation
• Miners Federation called a national strike, February 1912 demanding minimum wage
• The Government intervened and agreed with the principle of…