Labour Movement 1900-14

1
Labour Movement 1900-14

• By 1900 many of the different strands of the
  Labour movement came together as the LRC
• However this period was far from easy for the
  Labour movement as the ability to strike was
  attacked in the Taff Vale case
• Taff vale railway company sued the Amalgamated
  society of railway servants for damages caused by
  a strike

2
The company won 23,000 damages from the union,
this was a blow to TUs but helped LRC

• Unions rushed to affiliate with LRC, doubling its
  membership by 1903
• Brought in older skilled workers as well as
  general unions

3
Politicallt Labour made no gains, increased seats
from 2 to 5 in by-elections but only in areas
were Liberals did badly

• In 1906 general election, Liberals and Labour
  Party agreed not to stand against each other in
  certain constituencies
• Labour gained 53 seats, although Liberals had won
  a crushing victory, Labour now able to influence
  events
• !906-14 labour cooperated with Liberals to bring
  in reforms e.g. trade disputes Act, 1906
• Miners Federation affilated bringing an
  additional 16 lib-lab MPs

4
During this period, however Labour faced
financial ruin

• Hindered by Osborne judgment
• When union affiliated to the Labour Party, it
  used part of members funds to fund party

• Osborne, a member of the Railmans Union and a
  Liberal, took this complaint to court
• Decided that unions could not use their funds for
  political purposes

5
Partly saved by Parliament Act of 1911, which
gave salaries for MPs of 400 per year

• Osborne judgment was reversed in 1913 in the
  Trade Union Act which allowed a political levy to
  be charged through agreement
• Not everyone happy at this time, socialists
  wanted the party to state that socialism was its
  ultimate goal

6
Socialists wanted more rapid change, pointed to
failure of Labour to win any of the 14
by-elections between 1910-14

• People like Mann and Tillet, believed the
  problems lay with radical socialism which
  advocated workers control of industry and direct
  action
• 1910-14 witnessed direct action with TU
  militancy. The radicals aimed at creating large
  unions to take action eg miners, 850,000 on
  strike in 1912, railways,miners and transport
  formed one union

7
Coming of war ended the unrest

• Period 1910-14 demonstrated impatience of many
  socialists in TU movement
• However by eve of war, Labour was still not a
  comprehensive working class movement

• Failed to organise the women and the poor
• Still in a minority position in Parliament
• Believed that the working class were still not
  strong enough to bring about change in society