Industrial Relations

Question 1

When do Britains trade unions date back to?

Answer 1

The craft guilds of the 17th century

Question 2

What was the 1926 General Strike?

Answer 2

A strike in 1926 called by General Council of TUC
Lasted 9 days
1.7 million out on strike
Called to prevent government lowering wages of coal miners

Question 3

What event made the unions look good in the early 20th century?

Answer 3

The first world war - as the unions worked with the government to get things done

Question 4

Who was Earnest Bevin?

Answer 4

He was a war cabinet minister for labour and created the Bevin boys

Question 5

What did the emergency act of 1940 prevent unions doing?

Answer 5

Calling strikes

Question 6

How many conscripted men were Bevin boys?

Answer 6

1 in 10

Question 7

After the second world war how did the unions fair?

Answer 7

Brilliantly, full employment and the Labour government were very good for the unions

Question 8

Who was the first labour prime minister?

Answer 8

Clement Atlee

Question 9

What report helped sweep Labour into power in 1945

Answer 9

The Beveridge Report

Question 10

What is clause IV in labour constitution?

Answer 10

That industries should be nationalised

Question 11

What did nationalisation do for unions?

Answer 11

Made many government employees unions members

Question 12

What was the 1906 Trade Disputes Act?

Answer 12

Legal act which said that unions could not be sued for damages that occured during a strike

Question 13

According to Marwick, why were unions popular post-war?

Answer 13

Becuase they were getting good deals for their members. Pay deals and closed shop

Question 14

What was unions density in 1940-1950?

Answer 14

33-44%

Question 15

Who was Walter Citrine?

Answer 15

The leader of TUC and helped to rehabilitate the unions reputation after the General Strike. He was seen as cooperativee and principled

Question 16

What power does a union have in full employment conditions?

Answer 16

Specify what unions people could belong to and which type of employee is needed in a particualr job

Question 17

What year was the peak for union membership?

Answer 17

1980 - a recession year

Question 18

Why do workers join unions in bad economic times?

Answer 18

Becuase they need to increase their representation in the workplace when troulbe is brewing

Question 19

What was trade union density in 2000?

Answer 19

30% (still higher than France has ever been)

Question 20

When was British industry shaken up?

Answer 20

1980’s under Thatcher

Question 21

What system developed in US other than unions?

Answer 21

Welfare capitalism

Question 22

What was ‘In place of strife?’

Answer 22

A paper written by Barbara Castle to reform Industrial relations

Question 23

What was 1971 Industrial Relations act?

Answer 23

Passed by Heaths government, The goal was to stabilize industrial relations by forcing concentration of bargaining power and responsibility in the formal union leadership, using the courts. Eventially repealed and unions hated it

Question 24

What was Heath’s ‘Who governs Britain Campaign?’

Answer 24

It was his relection campaign based on the strikes of coal miners in 1974. HE LOST

Question 25

Who was Jack Jones?

Answer 25

General secretary of TWGU and was considered more powerful than any politican and very popular. He was the archtiect of the social contract Cult of personality. Shopfloor power

Question 26

What was the 1976 TUC Black workers charter?

Answer 26

Following the 1975 Race Relations act, it was something put into place by TUC to deal with extreme racism in the workplace

Question 27

What was the Grunwick dispute?

Answer 27

Unions dispute of film processing workers in London. Unions stepped in to help and showed that they could work for black abd asian workers

Question 28

What ways were unions satirised in media?

Answer 28

Carry on films, I’M alright jack etc.

Question 29

Who did government felt had more control than managers?

Answer 29

The shop steward

Question 30

How many pay agreements in 50/60/70’s were industry wide (therefore determined by the unions)

Answer 30

40%

Question 31

What is a enterprise agreement?

Answer 31

Factory level agreements between one employer and lots of workers

Question 32

Who were the EETPU?

Answer 32

The Electrical, electronic, telecommunications and plumbing unions. Under Eric Hammond showed want to be the sole union in a workplace and were expelled from TUC in 1988.

Question 33

Who was Len Murray?

Answer 33

Was a union leader who attended Beer and Sandwiches meetings at Downing Street in 1974-9

Question 34

What was the problems with unions leaders like Len Murray?

Answer 34

Alienated the working class workplace

Question 35

What happened to the unions as instrudrial sector contracted?

Answer 35

They shrunk

Question 36

What was the 1984-5 miners strike?

Answer 36

A strike by miners to try and prevent pit closures

Question 37

Why did Thatcher set up the miners strike?

Answer 37

She felt the unions had humiliated the government and wanted to get her own back by taking as much of their power away as she could

Question 38

What measures did Thatcher take?

Answer 38

1. Restricted who could protest outside a workplace
2. Banned secondary picketing
3. Banned flying pickets
4. Forced unions to the ballot before a strike
5. Made unions hold ballots for leadership
6. Closed shop was abolished
7. sat out the 1981 civil servants strike to show they were not going to negotiate

Question 39

Why did the NUM mines strike fail?

Answer 39

1. Scargill didnt get the vote for the strike
2. He was painted as the bogey man
3. People in the communities were poor and broken

Question 40

How did foreign investment affect unions?

Answer 40

Less likely to accept them - but Nissan were open to it