Paper 3, Option 36.1: Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c1780–1928 - 5 Trades union militancy, 1915–27 — Edexcel A-Level History
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Paper 3, Option 36.1: Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c1780–1928 - 5 Trades union militancy, 1915–27 explained
Paper 3, Option 36.1: Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c1780–1928 - 5 Trades union militancy, 1915–27 covers 3 specification points, including The roles of Manny Shinwell, James Maxton,… and The Triple Alliance; the impact of Black….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
The roles of Manny Shinwell, James Maxton, Ernest Bevin and J H Thomas; the events and significance of the Glasgow rent strike, 1915, and the 40-hour strike, 1919.
This topic examines key figures and major industrial disputes shaping trade union militancy. The 1915 Glasgow rent strike saw tenants successfully resist wartime rent hikes, forcing the Rent Restriction Act. The 1919 40-hour strike in Glasgow, led by figures like Manny Shinwell, demanded shorter hours to absorb returning soldiers. It culminated in the Battle of George Square but failed, forcing workers to accept a pre-existing national agreement for a 47-hour week. James Maxton, a prominent ILP figure, supported Red Clydeside agitation. Ernest Bevin gained prominence through the 1920 Shaw Inquiry and founding the TGWU, while J H Thomas led the railwaymen (NUR) and played a cautious role in the Triple Alliance, notably during Black Friday.
Union revival after the First World War: the Triple Alliance; the impact of Black Friday, 1921; the importance of the Council of Action and the formation of the AEU and TGWU.
After WWI, unions revived amid economic hardship. The Triple Alliance of miners, railwaymen, and transport workers threatened strike action to support nationalisation and higher wages. Black Friday, 1921, saw the alliance collapse when transport and railway leaders withdrew support on the day of a miners' lockout (imposed by owners after decontrol), weakening union solidarity. The Council of Action, formed in 1920, was a radical body that opposed British intervention in the Soviet-Polish War, demonstrating union political power. The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) and Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) were formed in 1920 and 1922 respectively, consolidating union strength in key industries. These developments show both the potential and limitations of union revival.
The General Strike, 1926: reasons for its occurrence and failure; roles of media, government and TUC; reasons for its failure. The Trades Disputes Act 1927.
The General Strike of 1926 arose from coal miners' grievances over pay cuts and longer hours after the return to the gold standard, alongside TUC solidarity. It failed because the government effectively used emergency powers, the OMS, and volunteers to maintain supplies, while the BBC and British Gazette presented strikers as unconstitutional. The TUC, lacking funds and fearing common-law liability for damages following the Astbury judgment, called it off without securing miners' terms. The media shaped public opinion against the strike. The Trades Disputes Act 1927 subsequently banned sympathetic strikes and mass picketing, and forced union members to contract in to political levies, weakening Labour finances.
Your focus
- Describe the specific roles of Manny Shinwell, James Maxton, Ernest Bevin, and J H Thomas in the labour movement.
- Analyse the events and outcomes of the Glasgow rent strike, 1915, and the 40-hour strike, 1919.
- Evaluate the significance of these strikes and leaders in the broader context of trade union militancy.
Show all 9 objectives
- Students can describe the formation and purpose of the Triple Alliance and the events of Black Friday, 1921.
- Students can explain the importance of the Council of Action and the formation of the AEU and TGWU.
- Students can assess the extent of union revival after the First World War, considering both successes and limitations.
- Identify and explain the short-term and long-term reasons for the occurrence of the General Strike of 1926.
- Analyse the roles of the media, government, and TUC in the strike's failure.
- Describe the key provisions of the Trades Disputes Act 1927 and evaluate its impact on trade unionism.
Paper 3, Option 36.1: Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c1780–1928 - 5 Trades union militancy, 1915–27 exam tips
Marking Points
- Explains the events and significance of the 1915 Glasgow rent strike: grassroots resistance to wartime rent increases leading to the Rent Restriction Act.
- Details the 1919 40-hour strike: Glasgow engineering workers demanding shorter hours, leading to the Battle of George Square, with Manny Shinwell acting as a key strike leader, and the ultimate failure of the strike.
- Assesses the roles of James Maxton and J H Thomas: Maxton as a radical ILP agitator on Clydeside, and Thomas as the moderate NUR leader involved in the Triple Alliance and Black Friday.
- Evaluates Ernest Bevin's significance: his advocacy for dockers at the 1920 Shaw Inquiry, involvement in the Council of Action, and creation of the TGWU.
- The formation and purpose of the Triple Alliance: an agreement between miners, railwaymen, and transport workers to support each other in industrial disputes.
- The events of Black Friday, 1921: the withdrawal of railway and transport support from the miners during their lockout, leading to the miners' defeat.
- The impact of Black Friday on union solidarity: it damaged trust and demonstrated the difficulties of maintaining alliances.
- The importance of the Council of Action: its role in opposing British intervention in the Soviet-Polish War and its demonstration of union political influence.
- The formation of the AEU in 1920 and TGWU in 1922: their creation through amalgamation and significance for engineering and transport workers.
- Explains reasons for occurrence: post-war economic slump, coal industry decline, and the 1925 Samuel Commission recommending subsidy withdrawal and wage cuts.
- Assesses the government's role in failure: Churchill's emergency measures, OMS, volunteer workers, and use of the BBC to broadcast government messages.
- Evaluates the TUC's role in failure: calling off the strike on 12 May without guarantees, fearing legal action and financial ruin under the Astbury judgment.
- Explains media influence: BBC and press framing strikers as revolutionary, dividing public opinion and undermining strike morale.
- Details the Trades Disputes Act 1927: outlawed sympathetic strikes, restricted picketing, and changed political levy to contracting-in, reducing Labour Party funds.
Examiner Tips
- 💡When discussing the 1919 40-hour strike, explicitly link Manny Shinwell's leadership to the events at George Square and the government's fear of revolution.
- 💡Contrast the radicalism of Red Clydeside figures (Shinwell, Maxton) with the more pragmatic or moderate national union leadership of Bevin and Thomas.
- 💡When discussing the Triple Alliance, explain its purpose and why it failed to prevent Black Friday.
- 💡Link the Council of Action to the broader theme of union political influence, not just industrial disputes.
- 💡Use specific dates and names: 4 May 1926, 12 May 1926, Samuel Commission, Astbury judgment, Stanley Baldwin.
- 💡Link causes and failure: show how the government's preparedness and TUC's lack of legal protection contributed to both.
Common Mistakes
- Error: attributing leadership of the 1919 40-hour strike to Ernest Bevin. Correction: the 1919 40-hour strike was a Glasgow-based dispute led by figures like Manny Shinwell; Bevin's prominence arose from the Shaw Inquiry and the TGWU.
- Error: confusing the roles of Shinwell and Maxton. Correction: while both were Red Clydeside figures, Shinwell was directly involved in leading the 1919 40-hour strike and was imprisoned for it, whereas Maxton was a key ILP propagandist and agitator.
- Error: assuming J H Thomas supported all militant action. Correction: Thomas was a moderate who often sought to avoid strikes, notably pulling the NUR out of the Triple Alliance strike on Black Friday in 1921.
- Error: claiming the 1919 40-hour strike achieved a 47-hour week. Correction: the 47-hour week was a pre-existing national agreement that the strikers were forced to accept after their demand for 40 hours failed.
- Confusing the trade union Triple Alliance with the earlier military Triple Entente: ensure you refer to the post-war trade union alliance.
- Misunderstanding Black Friday: it was not a strike itself but the day the alliance failed to support the miners during a lockout imposed by coal owners.
- Overlooking the Council of Action: it was a significant example of union political action, not just industrial action.
- Error: claiming the General Strike was a revolutionary attempt to overthrow the government. Correction: it was an industrial dispute in support of miners, though the government portrayed it as revolutionary.
- Error: stating the TUC called off the strike after winning concessions. Correction: the TUC called it off unconditionally on 12 May 1926, leaving miners to fight alone.
- Error: attributing the legal threat to union funds to the 1920 Emergency Powers Act. Correction: the direct legal threat to union funds was common-law liability highlighted by the Astbury judgment.