Trade Unions

Question 1

When did unions first begin to break down?

Answer 1

(1966) after strike by National Union of Seamen
–> Frank Cousins resigned over incomes policy

Question 2

How did Wilson try to make unions happy?

Answer 2

(1964) Frank Cousins = minister of tech
relied on prices and incomes policy

Question 3

What were wildcat strikes?

Answer 3

Sudden unofficial local disputes without refernce to national leadership
–> union bosses losing control

Question 4

How did Cons. try to help TU in 1967?

Answer 4

Fair Deal at Work under Edward Heath

Question 5

What did Lab. implement in 1969 for TU?

Answer 5

Barbara Castle produced ‘white paper’
–> could be contreversial
–> 28 days cooling off period before strike
–> strike ballots could imposed

Question 6

Those who were for and agaisnt In Place of Strife?

Answer 6

For: Roy Jenkins (Chancellor), Unions, Left of Lab.
Against: union leaders e.g. Jack Jones (TGWU),, James Callaghan and 50 Lab MP’s

Question 7

How did row over In place of strife end?

Answer 7

(July 1969) Wilson gave in
TUC negotiated a face-saving compromise but it was a humiliating climbdown by gov.

Question 8

Post war consensus by 1970 for TU?

Answer 8

TU seemed more uncooperative , forcing Lab. to reofrm industrial relations

Question 9

Issues with TU under Heath?

Answer 9

dockers strike
large pay settlement for dustmen
postal worker strike

Question 10

How did Heath deal with intial TU problems?

Answer 10

Intro. Industrial Relations Act
Abolished the National Board for Prices and Incomes

Question 11

What was the Industrial Relations Act?

Answer 11

Set up Industrial Relations Court
provided strike ballots
cooling off period before unoffical strikes begin

Question 12

Outcome of Industrial Relations Act?

Answer 12

Policy didnt work as expected
TUC and CBI opposed to it
(1972) major strikesaw highest numbers of days lost to strikes

Question 13

Affect of miners striking in 1972?

Answer 13

coal stopped moving
state of emergency
schools closed
1.2 million workers laid off
3 day week
Wilberforce Commitee negotiate generous wage settlement

Question 14

As well as wage demands what else did Heath do after 1972 strikes?

Answer 14

Passed Industry act
–> aimed to involve gov., TUC and CBI in agreeing wages, prices and benefits
–> heavily criticsed by right of Cons. (Enoch Powell)

Question 15

What strike occured in 1973?

Answer 15

industrial disputes with firefighter and power workers

Question 16

Why did miners demand higher wages?

Answer 16

after 1973 strike and oil crisis in November
–> beyond the limits gov. watned to impose to hold down inflation
–> miners intro. overtime ban to strengthen deamnds

Question 17

What was intro in 1974?

Answer 17

three-day week after strike
–> conserve electricity

Question 18

What did Heath do to try solve 1973 miners strike?

Answer 18

Moved Willie Whitelaw from NI Office to be a minister of employment as he was a skilled negotiator
–> failed
–> miners refused pay offer and gov. refused to treat miners as a special case

Question 19

What was called in 1974?

Answer 19

(January 1974) NUM called national strike

Question 20

What did Wilson do when Lab came back in gov?

Answer 20

prove Lab. was better equipped
(1973) negotiated Social Contract with TUC
–> voluntary pay restraint by TU and would repeal Heaths Industrial Act and pay board

Question 21

Outcome of Social Contract?

Answer 21

TU sent msg that gov. were not looking for confrontations
Agreement settled quickly and 3 day week ended
Tony Benn and Michael Foot were in charge of departments of Indistry and Employment

Question 22

What did TUC reject in 1978?

Answer 22

Lab. gov proposal for wage increase limit of 5%
–> it enocouraged TU to put in hgiher demands

Question 23

What did Ford Lorry drivers gain in Dec 1978?

Answer 23

15% increase in Dec after 9 week strike

Question 24

What happened after the Ford Lorry driver?

Answer 24

more unions followed their example:
incl. transport e.g. trains
strikes by public sector workers e.g.hospital porters and dustmen

Question 25

What was the winter of 1978-9 called?

Answer 25

Winter of discontent --> disputes brought to end in March 1979with avrg. wage incr to 10% --> physcological affect on public mood

Question 26

What were TU annoyed about with Thatcher initially?

Answer 26

her eco. reforms

Question 27

What unions were hostile at beginning of Thatchers premeirship?

Answer 27

COHSE and NUPE became more militatn teachers unions disputes over working coniditions

Question 28

What were new laws intro. to constrain unions?

Answer 28

(1980) secondary picketing outlawed (1984) unions under pressure to hold ballots before strike employers keep unions out of workplace

Question 29

What was the main strike under thatchers time as PM?

Answer 29

(1984-5) miners strike

Question 30

What happened before miners strike?

Answer 30

(1981) NCB (National Coal Board) warned need to close 223 pits --> didnt want rerun of 1973-4 events --> they compromised by reducing coal imports and protecting subsidy to NCB

Question 31

What happened in 1984 with miners strike?

Answer 31

gov. prep. and confident --> huge stocks built up at power stations --> good flow of North Sea oil NCB announced need to close 20 pits --> Arthur Scargill saw plan for 70 pits (seen in 2014 although denied at time)

Question 32

Scargill in 1984 miners strike?

Answer 32

Charismatic leader but didnt get total support for national strike refusal to hold strike ballot weakened case Nottinghamshire miners formed breakaway union (UDM)

Question 33

Opinion of police as a role for NUM defeat?

Answer 33

New equipment, more experience of riot control and better tactics critics of Thatcher balmed her for politicisiation of police --> defeat miners rather than being impartial protectors of law and order

Question 34

COnfrontation of police and miners?

Answer 34

Battle of Oregreave 5000 miners vs 8000 police officers

Question 35

Scargill as reason for NUM defeat?

Answer 35

didnt get support of Lab. leadership easy to demonise Scargill in media

Question 36

Outcome of Scargills campaign to prevent pit closures?

Answer 36

utter failure: - over 10 years coal industry employed went down by 140,000 power of unions reduced (1990) Union membership 2/3 of 1979

Question 37

Thatchers dealing with unions compared to other PM?

Answer 37

WEakness of Edward Heath 1973-4 Jim CAllaghan WInter of Discontent Defining moment of Thatcherism

Question 38

Pit closures under Majors reign?

Answer 38

(1991) Heseltine announced 31 pit closures in Nottinghamshire --> poor reward considering they went against Scargill --> outcry forced short term U-turn --> eventually closures went ahead

Question 39

How did Kinnock signal a split with TU?

Answer 39

(1989) ended Lab. support fro closed shop union agreements --> workers have to be members of a particular union

Question 40

TU membership in 1980's

Answer 40

Decresed from 29% to 26%

Question 41

New Labour position with TU?

Answer 41

DIdnt repeal TU legislation openly critical of strike action by trade unionists Learning from winter of disconent, image of pro business

Question 42

Which policies were TU critical of?

Answer 42

continuing cons. policies: outsourcing and PFI although they wanted to protect employment rigths of workers who moved from public to private , allowed contracting out to continue extended privitisations (2004) RMT expelled from party because some were donating to left-wing political parties

Question 43

What did Lab. gov. opt back into?

Answer 43

European Social Chapter --> follow European policies regarding employment and social rights --> employees entitled to reuqnest up to 3 months unpaid parental leave to care for child under 8

Question 44

What programme helped people find work under Blair?

Answer 44

New Deal Programme targeted particual group sof unemployed e.g. youth, elder, diasbled, and promised to find them work

Question 45

Limitations to New Deal programme?

Answer 45

SUpport limited and complaints that sanctions imposed it people didnt take support was counter-productive and unfair

Question 46

When and what NAtional Minimum wage?

Answer 46

(1998) Low Pay Commission set up to oversee and set the wage --> although initially very low