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Interwar labour relations

A strike at Smithfield Market in February 1922.

A strike at Smithfield Market in February 1922.
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Although broadly supportive of the war effort, trade union leadership was determined to protect the working conditions and standard of living of its members during the interwar period. The General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) was formed in 1921.

Related documents

The Munitions of War Act 1915

Cabinet Conclusion 10. The Barrow Strike. 2 April 1917 (PDF, 1.175MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. The Trade Card System and Schedule of Protected Occupations. 27 April 1917 (PDF, 1.157MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 11. Food Prices and Food Distribution. 17 July 1917 (PDF, 0.838MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Food Prices and Food Distribution. 18 July 1917 (PDF, 1.729MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 14. Coal Miners' Demand for Increase of Wages. 26 September 1917 (PDF, 1.700MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 10. Coal Miners' Demand for Increase of Wages. 27 September 1917 (PDF, 1.404MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Cost of the Miners' War Wage. 5 October 1917 (PDF, 0.278MB)

Cabinet Conclusions. The Labour Situation: The 12 1/2% Dilemma. 1 January 1918 (PDF, 1.208MB)

The Industrial Courts Act 1919

Cabinet Conclusion 5. The Whitley Report on Industrial Councils. 9 October 1917 (PDF, 1.440 MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Report by the Minister of Labour on the Attitude of Employers and Employed to the Whitley Report. 26 September 1917 (PDF, 5.000MB)

The Sankey Committee 1919

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Demands of the Coal Miners. 31 January 1919 (PDF, 1.644MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Miners' Claims: Spokesman of Government in Labour Disputes. 7 February 1919 (PDF, 2.035MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Miners Claims for Advance in Wages and Reduction in Hours. 4 February 1919 (PDF, 2.523MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. The Labour Situation: the Miners' Demands. 25 March 1919 (PDF, 0.713MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Coal Industry Commission. Interim Sankey Report. 15 April 1919 (PDF, 2.955MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Nationalisation of Mines. 23 July 1919 (PDF, 3.122MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Suggested Increase of Minimum Wage. 26 September 1919 (PDF, 0.852MB)

Cabinet Conclusions 1-7. The Strike. 26 September 1919 (PDF, 0.810MB)

Cabinet Conclusions 1-7. The Railway Strike. 3 October 1919 (PDF, 1.525MB)

Emergency Powers Bill 1920

Cabinet Conclusion 7. Industrial Situation arising out of the decision of the Miners' Federation to take a strike ballot. 17 August 1920 (PDF, 4.989MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Ministry of Labour Weekly Report. July 1920 (PDF, 19.705MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Miners' Claims. Memorandum by the President of the Board of Trade. 19 July 1920 (PDF, 2.489MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 15. Coal Crisis. 14 September 1920 (PDF, 2.614MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. The Coal Situation. 15 October 1920 (PDF, 1.616MB)

Cabinet Conclusions. Conferences of Ministers. 3 November 1920 (PDF, 0.591MB)

'Black Friday' 15 April 1921

Cabinet Conclusion 1. The Industrial Crisis. 12 April 1921 (PDF, 1.520MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. The Industrial Dispute. 12 April 1921 (PDF, 1.257MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. The Industrial Situation. 15 April 1921 (PDF, 0.616MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Industrial Dispute. 15 April 1921 (PDF, 0.600MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Industrial Dispute. 15 April 1921 (PDF, 16.455MB)

Trades Union Congress (TUC)

Cabinet Memorandum. Threatened Dock Strike. Memorandum by Minister of Labour. 28 January 1924 (PDF, 0.364MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. The Dock Dispute. 12 February 1924 (PDF, 2.064MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. The Dock Dispute. 18 February 1924 (PDF, 3.535MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. The Dock Dispute. 21 February 1924 (PDF, 4.834MB)

Search using Munitions of War Act Industrial Courts Act

Further reading

Taylor, R., Trade Union Question in British Politics (Oxford: Blackwell, 1993)
Pelling, H., A History of British Trade Unionism (London and Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1976)
Wrigley, C.J., A History of British Industrial Relations, 1914-1939 Vol. 2 (Brighton: Harvester, 1982)

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Interwar labour relations
Labour legislation
Black Friday and the TUC

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