BRITISH TRADE UNIONS

British Trade Unions



British Trade Unions

Introduction

In this essay, I will deal with the trade unions in Britain. This essay is especially focused on their background, their conditions before Mrs. Thatcher, under Mrs. Thatcher and after Mrs Thatcher. Through changing ideological, political, and economic conditions, the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher also changed the conditions of trade unions. In this essay I will see trade unions background, then their conditions after 1950s till Thatcher, and trade union structure under Thatcher, and then its condition after Thatcher with a conclusion.

First of all, the question is: what is trade union? Trade union is an organization in which workers come together in order to do something, to achieve their common goals under this organization. Generally, these goals are working conditions, working hours, wages, and BALKAYA 2/9so on. The trade union enters in an agreement with the employer in the name of union members and discusses labour contracts with employers.

Discussion

When we have a look at trade unions history, it is seen that it was not so powerful in 1860s. In the United Kingdom, Trade unions were first decriminalized under the Royal Commission in 1867. Its establishment aim was to give advantages to both employers and to employees. In the United Kingdom, the Trade Unions movement was just 5% of the working class in 1867. In those years the trade unions were not supported by laws. Also they were uncoordinated. Permanent trade unions were established from the 1850s. In 1860, the London Trades Council was founded in 1860. Then in 1868, The Trades Union Congress (TUC) was established. In 1867, in the United Kingdom the legal status of trade unions was established by Royal Commissions. Unions were legalized in 1871.

The early trade unions were not fully supported by laws; they could easily have been crushed. But by 1900, they had legal protection, and they had millions of members. In the early trade unions, the ones who could pay high subscription charges were the skilled workers and the artisans. These early trade unions did not have political agendas. What they wanted was to be respectable. These strategies were not accomplished, but somehow they were developing.

In 1940s and 1950s the situation changed. The trade unions in 1940s were respected. Churchill and Conservative relied on worker votes. Trade union leaders in1950s wanted to work with the Conservatives. These leaders were Sir William Lawther, Arthur Deakin, Lincoln Evans and Tom Williamson. They were the Loyal Party loyalists.

BALKAYA 3/9Then in 1960s and 1970s, between the years 1961-1979, the income policy became active. What is this policy? This policy is one which is done by the governments. Its aim is to command inflation. Generally there are three ways to apply this policy. First is a limit on how much the wages can be increased, the second one is the encouragement of the private sector not to exceed the limit set on wage increases in the public sector. The third one is instructions by government and the trade ...