(Change & challenge in the workplace) Industrial relations, 1939-1979 & reason for breakdown in 60s & 70s

Question 1

Summarise the change in industrial relations between 1939-1979 in one sentence.

Answer 1

Wasn’t an improvement in harmony between TUs & govt in WW2, but TUs grew in power & achieved more through strikes & other demands.

Question 2

What did industry look like during WW2?

Answer 2

Many were nationalised & economy was centrally planned so people worked long hours in poor conditions, leading to demands & pay disputes.

Question 3

What significant event happened regarding miners and strike action in 1944?
What was the impact? (3)

Answer 3

100,000 Welsh miners went on an unofficial strike for better wages.

Govt forced to pay up to keep war effort going.
Demonstrated changing effect of war on union power.
Laid foundations for core principle of post-war consensus: cooperation with TUs.

Question 4

What particular event showed that industrial relations were not calm despite the threat of WW2?

(2)

Answer 4

Strikes at west England docks, eg Plymouth, in January, over suspension of 11 men who refused to move to another port & work for less pay.

Happened despite the 1940 Defence Regulation 58AA that banned strikes & lockouts.

Question 5

What did the power of the unions look like between 1945-1960s?

Answer 5

Grew rapidly

Question 6

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

What are the POLITICAL reasons for this?

(5)

Answer 6

1945 labour govt repealed 1927 Trade Disputes Act.
Full employment grew membership.
Growing power of shop stewards who called unofficial ‘wildcat’ strikes to get more share in consumerism.
Labour passed 1965 Trades Dispute Act.
As power rose, Harold Wilson failed to rebalance their power in economic life.

Question 7

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

Part of the POLITICAL reasons for this was due to full employment creating a growth in Union membership.

What can this be compared to/considered in the context of?

Answer 7

Union membership in the Depression

Question 8

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

Part of the POLITICAL reasons for this was because of the 1965 labour govt passing the Trades Dispute Act.

What did this do?

Answer 8

Gave unionised workers more protection against being fired in the face of strike action.

Question 9

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

Part of the POLITICAL reasons for this was because of Harold Wilson’s failed attempt at rebalancing the power Unions had in British economic life.

Explain this.

Answer 9

Wanted to show himself as a man of the people & hosted union leaders for beers & sandwiches but his attempt to reduce threat of industrial action failed in 1969 due to “In Place of Strife”.

Question 10

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

Part of the POLITICAL reason was Harold Wilson’s failed attempt at rebalancing power of Unions in British economic life due to “In Place of Strife”.

Had this been accepted by Unions, what would it have meant? (3)

Answer 10

Secret ballots take place before strikes become compulsory.
Cooling off period of 90 days could be imposed.
Fines available for breaches of the law by union activists.

Question 11

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

What are the ECONOMIC reasons for this?

(3)

Answer 11

Post-war consensus committed to union cooperation & full employment so there was less competition for jobs & TU membership dramatically increased from the low point of the Depression.

Growth of consumer society created new economic logic from 50s onwards.

Attempts to involve workers, management & politicians in managing wage restraints for the greater good of the economy failed under Macmillan.

Question 12

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

Part of the ECONOMIC reason for this was attempts to involve workers, management & politicians in managing wage restraints failed under Macmillan.

Give an example.

Answer 12

National Incomes Commission

Question 13

Power of the unions grew rapidly between 1945-1960s.

Part of the ECONOMIC reason for this was due to the growth of a consumer society that created a new type of economic logic.

What was this?

Answer 13

People’s emotional life was associated with economic wants, not needs, & workers wanted a share in the consumer boom.

Question 14

What did Edward Heath’s government introduce to tackle the problems of industrial action?
What did this do?

Answer 14

1971 Industrial Relations Act

Make sure strikes were “valid” to reduce the amount taking place. Trade Unions, in response, simply moved to not register its validity.

Question 15

Provide evidence that, by the 1970s, Unions were damaging the economy.

(3)

Answer 15

Inflation averaged 9%

Pay increases averaged 14%

Productivity only increased by 5%

Question 16

By the 1970s, British _______ were essentially being paid ____ to produce ____.
The economy was ________ and ________ was rising.

Answer 16

a) workers
b) more
c) less
d) stagnant
e) inflation

Question 17

Tactics on behalf of Unions to protect their power grew stronger in the 1970s.
Give evidence.

Answer 17

National Union of Miners Strike against pit closures in 1972.

Question 18

What had put put immense pressure on a government which had miscalculated the size of Britain’s reserves in the 1970s?

Answer 18

Flying Pickets and the blocking of coal distribution centres.

Question 19

Flying pickets became popular in the 1970s.

What is it?

Answer 19

The process of workers moving to any site where there was an industrial dispute

Question 20

What happened as a result of the 3 day week in the 1970s?

Answer 20

Public outrage saw Edward Heath making a U-turn on his decision to abandon the post-war consensus and gave into a 21% pay rise.

Question 21

What particular event caused Edward Heath to make a U-turn on his decision to abandon the post-war consensus and gave into a 21% pay rise in the 1970s?

Answer 21

The public outrage at the 3 day working week.

Question 22

What caused the 3 day working week in the 1970s?

Answer 22

Having to ration electricity as a result of strike action.

Question 23

Edward Heath made a U-turn on his decision to abandon the post-war consensus and gave into a 21% pay rise in the 1970s.
What did this do?

Answer 23

Added the inflation, which was then further worsened by demands for another pay rise the following the year and the economic shock of the OPEC crisis.

Question 24

The ______ _______ in 19__, as a replacement for the 19___ _________ ________ Act further fuelled the __________ of _______ and led to further _______ and ______ that would eventually culminate in the _______
___ ________.

Answer 24

a) social contract
b) 1979
c) 1971 Industrial Relations Act
d) confidence
e) unions
f) demands
g) actions
h) Winter of Discontent

Question 25

It should also be considered that the _______ remained with so much _______ because clearly there was an _________ on Britain’s highly ________ industries.

Answer 25

a) Unions
b) power
c) overreliance
d) unionised