Trade Unions 1900-14

Trade Unions 1900-14

Trade Unions

The repeal of the Combination Acts in 1824 made it possible for working people to combine together to try and get their employers to improve working conditions/raise wages. From the 1860s onwards trade unions grew drastically, and became more militant. They became willing to use strikes:

·         Strikes rose from 300-400 per year in 1902-06, to 800-900 per year in 1911-1914

·         In 1913 there was a peak in strikes, with 1459 separate strikes taking place

By 1914 union membership reached 4.1 million people, from a mere 2.5 million in 1910. Trade unions grew for a variety of reasons:

·         Value of real wages was falling from 1900 onwards

·         Prices rose steeply from 1911-12

·         The Trade Disputes Act of 1906 removed the requirement for unions to compensate employers for profits lost in strikes

·         The Labour party was hoped to be a voice for the working class…