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The History of trade unions in the United Kingdom covers British trade union organisation, activity, ideas, politics, and impact, from the early 19th century to the recent past. For current status see Trade unions in the United Kingdom.
- The Rise of The Machines
- Poor Working Conditions
- The Formation of Trade Unions
- Restriction & Repression
- Government Labour Reforms
From the second half of the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution swept through Britain. Machines, especially steam-powered machines, helped make many factories fully mechanised and capable of mass-producing goods such as tools and textiles. New jobs were created, but these usually involved repetitive tasks and were ruled by the clock. Previously...
The machines in factories had many moving parts, and these caused injuries to operators. Breakages were dangerous as pieces flew across the factory floor like bullets. Flying spindles were a particularly nasty possibility in textile mills. The atmosphere in a mill was deliberately kept damp to ensure the cotton threads stayed strong and supple. Man...
The poor conditions of many workplaces and the atmosphere of suspicion from employers that workers could always do more helped form the trade union movement in the late 18th century. Unions were often extensions of the craft guilds that had been in existence since the Middle Ages, which is why many of the early unions represented specialised worker...
Many business owners did not like the idea of workers getting together to limit their profits. "Managers attacked these organizations, breaking them whenever and however possible" (Horn, 62). If a union or worker's organisation could not be disbanded, then employers took aim at individuals. Workers who joined a union were often subject to prejudice...
Eventually, governments did what trade unions had struggled to achieve, and from the 1830s, the situation for workers in factories and mines, including for children, began to slowly improve. Several acts of Parliament were passed from 1833 to try, although not always successfully, to limit employers' exploitation of their workforce and lay down min...
- Mark Cartwright
Timeline. From illegality to a role in government: a trade union timeline. 1799 and 1800 Combination Acts: virtually all trade union activity illegal and subject to three months imprisonment by the justices of the peace. 1801 Henry Addington takes office as Tory prime minister.
Oct 27, 2007 · Trade unions fought off many attempts to cripple them. Indeed, struggles to retain free trades unionism dominated the period from 1968 to 1974. Trade unions demonstrating against state interference in union democracy and practice in 1971 and were able within three years to make the laws inoperable.
Mar 11, 2014 · Interactive timeline of trade unions in the UK. Trade unions are an integral part of the UK workforce, with the TUC representing 6.2 million trade union members in 2013 across 54 affiliated unions.
Use our timeline to discover more about the history of the British trade union movement.
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May 7, 2014 · A new online, interactive source of information about trade unions has been created by Union Insurance, the company that provides policies for union members, working people and their families. The website is based on a timeline that traces the history of trade unions in the UK from 1800 to the present day.
