Theme 1 c 2 - Changing work opportunities and conditions

Question 1

What event meant that employees had more choice as to their occupation between 1939 - 79?

Answer 1

Almost full employment.

Question 2

By 1944 what proportion of the civilian population was involved in war work?

Answer 2

33% 7 million were women

Question 3

How many women were employed in the war work in 1944?

Answer 3

7 million

Question 4

Why did unemployment virtually disappear in the 1940s?

Answer 4

Wartime work lead to more employment opportunities including those for women. Factories that had lain idle during the 1930s were now fully operational, building weapons and munitions.

Question 5

Who was the Minister of Labour in 1941?

Answer 5

Ernest Bevin

Question 6

What did Ernest Bevin do to help employment in March 1941?

Answer 6

As Minister of Labour Issued an Essential Works Order This tied people to jobs considered essential for the war effort and made it difficult for employers to dismiss them.

Question 7

Year - Essential Works order

Answer 7

March 1941

Question 8

Year - Control Employment Act

Answer 8

September 1939

Question 9

What did the Control fo Employment Act do?

Answer 9

Allow semi-skilled workers to undertake formally skilled jobs. Due to the shortage of skilled workers. Those skilled workers in essential war industries were also exempt from military service.

Question 10

What Act helped reduce the need for Skilled workers?

Answer 10

Control fo Employment Act 1939 - Allow semi-skilled workers to undertake formally skilled jobs. - Those skilled workers in essential war industries were also exempt from military service.

Question 11

What percentage of men were conscripted to the coal mines in the ‘Bevin Boys’?

Answer 11

10%

Question 12

What was the ‘Bevin Boys’ do?

Answer 12

Beginning December 1943 - Conscription 10% of young men into the coal mines rather than military service. The mines had lost 36,000 of their workforce and were replaced by ‘Bevin Boys’, many of whom resented this reinforced alternative to joining the armed forces.

Question 13

How many young men were lost from the coal mines due to WW2?

Answer 13

36,000

Question 14

How did Bevin make the factories conditions better?

Answer 14

• Provide medical centres
• Canteens to feed employees
• Creches for working mothers
• Established radio programme ‘Worker’s playtime’
• Made sure all munitions workers knew that they were a vital part of Britain’s eventual victory.
• Wages increased but hours were very long

Question 15

How many of the years between 1948 and 1970 did unemployment rise above 2%?

Answer 15

8 years

Question 16

What main industry was in Nottingham?

Answer 16

Textile factories

Question 17

After WW2 why was there a shift in jobs for some of the employed?

Answer 17

More availability to change to a more suitable job or a more desirable one. Employers offered benefits like cheap canteen facilities, sports and social clubs.

Question 18

In what areas of the workforce were more workers needed after WW2?

Answer 18

As technology developed, more white-collar jobs emerged and technological jobs in electronics, light engineering and the provision of consumer goods. Also, more managers were needed - These white-collar jobs proved a lot more popular and satisfactory than manual jobs. The service sector also grew eg. tourism, shops and restaurants.

Question 19

By 1956 how many people were directly employed in the production of motor vehicles or components?

Answer 19

500,000

Question 20

What was the main problem with factory work?

Answer 20

Tedium - Repetitive work often tied to the speed of a conveyer belt in deafening noises. This worsened due to automation development.

Question 21

What was the positive of factory work?

Answer 21

The pay was better

Question 22

State how factory workers pay developed through the years 1951-1971

Answer 22

1951 - £8.30 1961 - £15.35 (doubled in the decade) 1971 - £30.93 (doubled again)

Question 23

How much did retail prices increase by between 1955-1969?

Answer 23

63% As weekly wage rates went up 88%.

Question 24

How much did weekly wages increase between 1955-69?

Answer 24

88% increased wages. When overtime was taken into account this rose to 130% While retail prices increased by 63%

Question 25

What happened to employment by 1972?

Answer 25

Rose to 1 million. Job security began to fade against a new reality of joblessness. Especially, in heavy industrial parts

Question 26

What area of the car leads to short-term job prosperities?

Answer 26

Headlight manufacture

Question 27

By 1976 what had the Labour Government conceded?

Answer 27

The working opportunities that had existed since the end of WW2 were no longer possible. It had abandoned the aim for full employment and accepted that market forces would have a greater role in determining who worked and who did not.