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Labour Movement 1900-14

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

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Labour Movement 1900-14

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  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 TU’s 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. 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 Railman’s Union and a Liberal, took this complaint to court Decided that unions could not use their funds for political purposes During this period, however Labour faced financial ruin

  5. Partly saved by Parliament Act of 1911, which gave salaries for MP’s 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. 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 Coming of war ended the unrest

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