Workers' Educational Association.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1922, Page 1

Workers ' Educational Association.

LECTURE ON THE HISTORY OF TRADE UNIONISM..

The usual lecture in Economics in connection with the W.E.A. classes was given cm Thursday evening in the Education Board Room by Mr H. Belshaw M.A. The lecturer dealt with the struggle of the Trade Union for freedom, confining his attentions to the movement in the United Kingdom. the following is an outline ol the lectuie.

Webb defines the Trade Union as a continuous association of wagc-carncis for the purpose of maintaining or increasing the conditions of their working lives. It therefore excludes all thoso sporadic outbursts of the weak against the strong which have illuminated the pages of history since the revolt of the Hebrews against making bricks without straw for their Egyptian task masters. Combinations existed in the middle ages for months or even for years but they did not have the chief characteristic of the modern Trade Union. Thus in 1383 the Corporation of the city of London prohibited all “congregations, covins and conspiracies of workmen and a. few years later (138<) the serving men of the London cordwainers rebelled and are reported to have aimed at a permanent fraternity. As early ns 1583 a ease of intimidation of “scabs” occurred and the Bishop of K!v reported that 21 journeymen shoemakers at Bisbcch had assembled on a hill, threatened blacklegs, demanded to meet the employers and insisted on a rise in wages. These combinations represent incipient trade unionism. In the loth, and IGUi century associations of journeymen were continuous; but these were simply subordinate departments of the gilds. The Journeyman had the opportunity of becoming a master so that there was no permanent and irremediable clash of interests; But owing to the eonllict of industrial and trade, capital and to the domination of the gilds by the more powerful members.*" the small masters were gradually ousted from the gilds and theii interests became identical with those of the journeyman. Trade Unionism arose on the ruins of the small master’s and journeymen’s organisation. Hie tailuie of the traditional gild organisations drove the new wage earning class into secret combinations from which they emerged in the IDth cent my as Trade Unions. At this point the last phase of the gild and the earliest phase of trade unionism meet and blend. Not all associations of workers were driven underground for many Trade Unions originated as Friendly Societies. In the KUli and ]7th centuries the dominnr.t policy of the State was regulation to fill the gap of the gild regulations which had broken down. Combinations to enforce these were not regarded with disfavour hut combinations to raise wages, shorten hours etc. were regarded in the nature of rebellion. From 1760 onwards the revolution in industrial methods bewildered the operatives and rapid changes, made the judicial assessment of wages impossible Within a generation Parliament accepted laisser-faire (go as you please) as its policy and a bill introduced in 1778 to fix wages was defeated through the exertions of the employers. The Industrial revolution created and massed together, a permanent class wage-ear-ners, and the feudal ideas ol status, sfill appeared to remain. Combinations were looked upon as mutiny against the rightful employers and masters as interfering with the employers doing ns they pleased with their own. So the acts of 1799 and 1800 against combination penalized associations of workers altogether and created new crimes. It became dangerous to bold conversation with others and victimisation was common. Combi nut mns were seldom proceeded against unless the law was set in motion by the employers themselves, but the acts proved a powerful weapon in the bands of less scrupulous employers especially as one employer often ha,l greater bargaining fewer than scores of workmen. So a long list of judicial barbarities took place, stinging the workers into passionate but futile revolt to maintain a hare subsistence. Masters combined to lower wages in defiance of the law. In 1821 the anti-combination laws wore repealed chielly owing to the remarkable genius for wire-pulling and political strategy of Francis Place, who marshalled his evidence with rare skill and surprised his opponents. An attempt was made in 182 b to defeat the bill, but though the new bill fell short of the original measure yet for the first time the right to combine was dcfinitelv established. Combinations to raise wages were not illegal, but workers could still be prosecuted under various pretexts. For example, tho worker who broke a contract could be imprisoned for a criminal offence, while the employer could simply be sued for damages. The taking of an on 111 was unlawful and was punishable with transporta l ion. In 187(5 any of the existing anomalies were removed by Gobbet’s “Master and Servant’s Act” while tlio “Junta” materially assisted in bringing this about. In this year also the Boiler Makers of Bradford sued a defalcating treasurer, but were given no redress as tho Trade Union was not a registered society. The Unions wore therefore at the mercy of every dishonest official. In 1871 a hill was introduced giving the union the right to register and so protect its funds. It could not be said to act in restraint of trade and could not be sued in a court of law. The Employer and Workmans Act of 187 b, made workmen and masters equal parties, it abolished imprisonment for breach of agreement, permitted peaceful picketing, and laid down that no act was criminal when committed by. a group unless it was also criminal when committed by an,individual. The Tall 1 Vale case, 1901, gave Trade Unionism a further set back. Judgment wps given t-Rat, it) spite of the act of

1871, a Union could be sued for loss incurred through its action. Since every strike incurred some loss the unions were in a serious predicament, but this state of affairs was remedied by the Trade Dispute Act of 1900. This Act gave the Union immunity against civil action for any wrong committed on its behalf. Again, in 1907 the movement obtained a slight set back by the Osborne judgment, but this was again very largely remedied in 1913. The study of the Trade Union movement reveals the story of a courageous light against tremendous odds —a fight which raised the Trade Union from the position of a social outcast to that of a powerful organisation whoso leaders must be counted with in the framing of the economic policy of the nation. In spite of the pessimism of some of its members, in many ways the movement paver xyas stronger than jt Is to-rlpy.