A Short History of Trade Unions
Trade unions are a force for good in society. That is not said often enough these days so let me repeat it – in capitals – in bold – underlined – and in red –
TRADE UNIONS ARE A FORCE FOR GOOD IN SOCIETY
Wherever trade unions exist you see increases in wages, improved working terms and conditions, extra holiday leave and better safeguards for health and safety. No other organisation has collectively done as much as trade unions have to more fairly and equitably distribute and share out the wealth and fruits of labour. The successes of trade unionism include the formation of the Labour Party itself (in which the trade unions played a key part) and therefore all of the benefits that have since been gained by the Labour Party as the political wing of the trade unions and labour movement.
Having established that as my starting point, what I want to do in this series of articles is to trace a short history of trade unions. I will explore why they came about, what happened when they did and why they are still relevant today.
Part 1 - 1799–1831 This is the period where times and conditions created the need for mass organisation in trade unions.
Part 2 - 1832-1867 This period includes the Tolpuddle Martyrs, the emergence of unions, the first General Strike and the Reform Acts.
Part 3 - 1868 – 1889 This period covers some great and glorious as well as terrible and torturous times in trade union history, including the Match Girls / Women's strike, and the formation of the Trades Union Congress.
Part 4 - 1889 – 1900 This period covers the role that the trade unions played in the formation of the Labour Party.
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Part 5 - 1900 -1914 This Part covers the Taff Vale judgement plus The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.
Part 6 - 1915 - 1945 This Part covers the General Strike and Labour's first 2 governments.
Part 7 - 1945 -1970 This Part covers the first Labour majority government and policies in the 1960s.
Part 8 - 1970 -1979 This Part covers the Incomes Policies of the Tory and Labour governments in the 1970s
Parts 9 and 10 of the Trade Union history to follow.
Part 1 Short history of the T&G (1922-1969)
Part 2 Short history of the T&G (1969-2007)
A short history of UNITE the union
What Has UNITE Ever Done For Us?