British Trade Unions, 1707-1918, Part II

Part II Volume 5: 1865-1880 As some trade unionists began to emerge as national figures there were debates within unionism about the best tactics to be adopted to advance their cause. The so-called 'Junta' in London actively sought middle-class allies and emphasised that their unions offered an alternative to industrial conflict, while others continued to battle against recalcitrant employers, hostile courts and the erosion of traditional work patterns. There was also a new awareness of the international nature of capitalism and of the need for both national organisations and international co-operation. George Howell, Secretary of the Reform League , 'To the Trades Unionists of the United Kingdom', Operative Bricklayers' Society's Trade Circular (1865); 'The Strike in North Staffordshire. Meeting of the London Trades' Council', Operative Bricklayers' Society's Trade Circular (1865); 'Mr Potter and the London Trades' Council', Operative Bricklayers' Society's Trade Circular (1865); Mr Potter and the London Trades Council (1865); Trades' Societies and Lock-Outs. Report of the Conference of Trades' Delegates of the United Kingdom, held in the Temperance Hall, Townhead Street, Sheffield on July 17th 1866, and the four following day (1866); 'The Tailors' Strike and the System of Picketing', Operative Bricklayers' Society Monthly Report (1867); E S Beesly, The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (1867); Report of the St Martin's Hall United Kingdom Trades' Conference Committee on the Trades' Union Inquiry Commission till 7th August 1867 (1867); Report of the Various Proceedings taken by the London Trades' Council and the Conference of Amalgamated Trades, in Reference to the Royal Commission on Trades' Unions, and other subjects in connection therewith (1867); International Working Men's Association, To the Trades' Unionists of Great Britain and Ireland (1868); Trades Unions; An inquiry into their Rules and Working, Based on the Evidence before the Royal Commission; showing the folly of all attempts to raise wages by Violence and Strikes, and the beauty and Excellence of the Divine Law Governing Workmen and Employers. By Robert Jackson (1870?); Trade Union Bill, 1871 A Letter by Mr W P Roberts, (of London and Manchester) to Mr George Potter, Mr William Allan, Mr Alexander McDonald and others interested in Trades' Societies (1871); Report of the Conference of Trades Delegates, held in the Town Hall, Leeds on December 2nd 1871. Called to consider the Statement made by Wm. Newmarch, Esq. in his address to the Social Science Congress lately held in Leeds. Published by the Leeds Trades Council (1871); Proceedings of the Miners' National Association Conference, held in Leeds, on 18,19, 20, 21 and 22 November 1873 (1873); The Criminal Law Amendment Act. A Memorial to the Right Honourable Henry Austin Bruce, MP, with an Appendix of Cases under the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1873); Tracts for Trade Unionists No IV. The National Federation of Associated Employers of Labour. Report upon the memorial presented to the Home Secretary by the National Federation of Associated Employers of Labour December 13th, 1873. By Henry Crompton, Esq. , Barrister-at-Law (1873); Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Address from the Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers to their fellow workmen throughout the United Kingdom, the British Colonies, and foreign countries (1879); George Howell, 'Trade Unions: Their Nature, Character, and Work', Fraser's Magazine (1879) Volume 6: 1881-1899 Trade union organisation spread among groups of unskilled workers and women workers amongst whom unionism had previously tended to be ineffective and sporadic. With socialist ideas influencing some of the most active leaders there was a demand for a legislative imposition of an eight-hour working day. Disputes tended to be on a larger scale and more embittered, with employers trying to claw back some earlier gains. John Burnett, 'Trade Unions as a Means of Improving the Conditions of Labour', The Claims of Labour. A course of lectures delivered in Scotland in the summer of 1886, on Various aspects of the Labour Problem, edited by James K. Oliphant (1886); James Bartley, The Eight hours movement: the 'points' of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress issued by them to the Trades Unionists of the United Kingdom, in regard to the Eight Hours Movement (c.1886); Benjamin Tillett, 'The Dockers' Story', English Illustrated Magazine (1889); John Burns, 'The Great Strike', New Review (1889); Henry Hyde Champion, The Great Dock Strike in London, August, 1889 (1890); George Shipton, 'Trade Unionism, New and Old', Murray's Magazine (1890); 'Trade Unionism. Replies to Mr George Shipton', Murray's Magazine (1890); Eight Hours Movement: Speech by Mr H H Champion, at Eight Hours Demonstration held at Aberdeen, on 17th May, 1890, Under the Auspices of the Aberdeen United Trades Council (1890); Maltman Barry, The Labour Day. An address delivered to the Trades Council of Aberdeen, on August 12, 1890, and now published by them (1890); Eva Gore Booth, Women Workers and Parliamentary Representation (1890); James Mavor, The Scottish Railway Strike 1891: A History and Criticism (1891); William Whitefield, The Miners' Eight Hours Bill (1891); Harry Quelch, Trade Unionism, Co-operation, and Social Democracy (1892); Lady Emilia S Dilke, Trades Unions for Women (1893); Clem Edwards, 'The Lock-out in the Coal Trade', Economic Journal (1893); William Smart, Miners' Wages and the Sliding Scale (1894); Leonard Hall, The Old and New Unionism. Being a Reply to a Leaflet entitled, 'To Hell with Trades Unionism' (1894); London Society of Compositors Socialist Group, Socialism and Trade Unionism: Wherein do they differ? (early 1890s); Robert Blatchford (Nunquam), The Living Wage and the Law of Supply and Demand. A Letter to Colliers. Dedicated to B Pickard, M P (1893); J M Ludlow, 'The National Free Labour Association', 'Notes and Memoranda', Economic Review (1895); The Case of Temperton v. Russell and others (1895); Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Notes on the engineering trade lock-out, 1897-98. (1898); Free Labour Frauds. A Study in Dishonesty. Reprinted from The Critic (1898) Volume 7: 1900-1911 The new century began with some hostile legal judgements such as in the Taff Vale case, but in these crucial years trade unions learned to use their new-found political strength in association with the emerging Labour Party to unpick the worst of these. They also began to talk of the need for union amalgamations to create more effective and powerful bodies. Ideas of industrial unionism and syndicalism from the United States and mainland Europe began to be developed. Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the Picketing Case. Successful Appeal. The Taff Vale Company v. ASRS and others (1900); The Law and Trade Unions. A Brief Review of Recent Litigation, Specially Prepared at the Instance of Richard Bell, MP; 'The International Transport Workers' Federation', The Dockers' Record (1903); Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades of Great Britain, To the Officers and Members of the Trades Affiliated with the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades. Premium Bonus System (1904); George J. Wardle, Editor of Railway Review , Enginemen and the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. An Argument for One Union (1905); Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, General Railway Workers' Union, United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society, Railway Clark's Association. Re Amalgamation. Report of Conference held at the Deansgate Hotel, Manchester on 3 February, 1906 (1906); Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants etc. The Attack upon the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants by the Amalgamated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. The ASRS's Reply (1906); Lord Penrhyn's Methods. The Press Gag, and How it was Burst. (1902); Herman Cohen, The Law relating to Strikes and Lock-outs. Issued by the Authority of the London Trades Council. (1905); Mary R Macarthur, 'The Women's Trade Union League', Women's Trade Union League, Women Workers: A souvenir of Women's Labour Day (1909); J Ramsay MacDonald, The Law and Trade Union Funds. A Plea for 'Ante-Taff Vale'; Tom Mann, 'Forging the Weapon', Industrial Syndicalist (1910); E J B Allen, 'Working-Class Socialism', in Tom Mann, Symposium on Syndicalism by Active Workers. Industrial Syndicalist (1910); Associated Iron and Steel Workers of Great Britain. Hawarden Bridge Lock-Out. Its History. John Hodge exposed. (1910); Harry Quelch, Social-Democracy and Industrial Organisation (1911?); Coal Trade Pamphlets. No 1. The Conflict in South Wales (1910); Walter V. Osborne, Trade Union Funds and Party Politics. A Statement of the Case by Walter V. Osborne (1910); W A Appleton, 'The General Federation of Trade Unions', The Dockers' Record (1911); The Joint Board. Representing Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress, the General Federation of Trade Unions, Labour Party. Report in National Insurance and Reversal of the Osborne Judgment. Report on Special conference held in Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, London, EC (1911); Henry William Lee, The Great Strike Movement of 1911 and its Lessons (1912); F Hay & N Ablett, 'A Minimum Wage for Miners', Industrial Syndicalist (1911); Robert Small, The Cry from the Miner and the Claim of the Miner (1911); Will Phillips, The Great Strike: how the workers found their power; Lessons from the Coronation Strike, with a word to the workers (1911); J Keir Hardie, MP, Killing No Murder! The Government and the Railway Strike. What Caused the Recent Railway Strike? Who settled it? For What purpose were the Troops called out? (1911) Volume 8: 1912-1918 The immediate pre-war years brought some of the most bitter strikes and from many directions the language was that of the class war. The need for workers' collaboration in the war effort presented unions with huge challenges, such as dilution of skilled labour with unskilled workers, but also with great opportunities for advancing their cause, and generated a vigorous debate over what trade unionism ought to be in the post-war world. Ben Tillett, 'London Transport Workers' Strike', The Dockers' Record (1912); Guy Bowman, Syndicalism: Its Basis, Methods, and Ultimate Aim. Compiled by Norman Young from a lecture by Guy Bowman, 6 April 1913, in Co-operative Hall, Little Newport Street, W (1913); The Greater Unionism. With Special Reference to Mining, Building, Engineering and Shipbuilding, Transport and General Labour, and to the position of the General Federation of Trade Unions (1913); TUC Parliamentary Committee. Dublin Dispute. Report of Special Conference held at the Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, London EC (1913); Trades Union (No.2) Bill. TUC Parliamentary Committee. Report of Proceedings of the National Conference held in the Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, London, EC (1913); W M Geldart, The Present Law of Trade Disputes and Trade Unions (1914); George R Shann, 'Scientific Management', The Workers' Union Record (1914); 'Taylor's System of Scientific Management', The Workers' Union Record, (1914); 'Taylor's System of Scientific Management', The Workers' Union Record (1914); 'Scientific Management and Trade Unionism', The Workers' Union Record (1914); 'Scientific Management. The Skilled Man and the Unskilled', The Workers' Union Record (1914); 'Scientific Management. Our Attitude Towards it', The Workers' Union Record (1914); J Beard, 'The Call for Munitions', The Workers' Union Record (1915); 'Munitions of War Act', The Workers' Union Record (1915); G D H Cole & W Mellor, The Price of Dilution of Labour. An Open Letter to Members of the ASE Conference, 30th December 1915 (1915); 'Betrayal of the Labourers at Woolwich Arsenal', The Workers' Union Record (1915); War Emergency Workers' National Committee, Compulsory Military Service and Industrial Conscription. What they mean to the Workers (1915); W F Watson, One Union for Metal, Engineering and Shipbuilding Workers (1916); John Beard, 'First Triennial Conference. Full Report of the Proceedings in Birmingham', The Workers' Union Record (1916); Labour Party, Report of the Special Committee appointed by the annual conference held at Manchester, in January 1917, to inquire into and report upon the circumstances which resulted in the deportation in March 1916, of David Kirkwood and other workmen employed in munition factories in the Clyde District (1917); (1916); 'Memorandum of Conference between the Engineering Employers' Federation and Stream Engine Makers' Society and 13 other unions', The Workers' Union Record (1918); J T Murphy, The Workers Committee: an outline of its principles and structure (1918); J T Murphy, Compromise or Independence? An Examination of the Whitley Report with a plea for the Rejection of the Proposals for Joint Standing Industrial Councils (1918)