BOOM IN TRADES UNIONISM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1634, 28 December 1912, Page 14

BOOM IN TRADES UNIONISM.

INCREASES IN BRITAIN. There ie a boom in trade unionism in Britain just now (says the "Manchester Guardian") that has probably never been equalled in the history of the movement. The Owenito revival of 1833-4 enrolled over half a million of hitherto unorganised workers. The revivals of 1850, 1872, and, particularly, of 1888-9 brought enormous but not always : permanent accessions to the army of organised labour. In 1872 a union of agricultural labourers, fully 100,000 btrong, was created in a few months. Shortly afterwards 80,000 maritime workers were organised almost as rapidly. The striking thing in the revival of 1888-9 was the organisation of hundreds of thousands of unskilled workers. But the statistics of any of these booms aro beggared by those already available for the last eighteen months. It is probable that next year's returns will show that there has been an average increase in strength of the registered unions of fully 25 per cent. This increase differs from any former revival in ono respect, It is likely to be permanent, for it is obviously due to tho Insurance Act. A piece of evidence that may safely be talcen as typical is the current report of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. It shows a net increaso ot 22,027 for the twelve months. Of tho total membership of 141,000, over 90,000 members have joined the "approved" section to secure !>enciits under the National Insurance Act. This indicates tlio-real cause of tho increase. The present revival does not depend, as former ones have, on some wave of enthusiasm, intense but transitory. When it is remembered that from tho total membership of 141,000 must be deducted over 30,000 abroad or superannuated or otherwise uninsurable, it is clear that ovor 80 per cent, havo "approved." It may be taken that about the same percentage of the new recruits havo joined for prudential reasons and will remain as a settled membership.

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