Search results
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
3 days ago · As an organized movement, trade unionism (also called organized labour) originated in the 19th century in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States. In many countries trade unionism is synonymous with the term labour movement.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Timeline of trade union history from the Combination Acts beginning in 1799 through to the early years of the 21st century
Use our timeline to discover more about the history of the British trade union movement.
Feb 10, 1994 · This is the third and final volume in the authoritative History of the British Trade Unions since 1889. It covers the years between 1934 and 1951. These years saw gradual recovery from the world-wide economic depression, the Second World War, and its aftermath of austerity and development.
People also ask
Where did trade unionism originate?
Why were trade unions formed?
When did Trade Unions start?
What is a trade union?
Why did the trade union movement start in the late 18th century?
How did the trade union movement change in the 1850s?
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.
