1C - Change and Challenge in the Workplace, 1945-1979

Question 1

In what periods was full employment prioritised?

Answer 1

1940s-1970s both parties maintained a commitment to full employment due to favourable economic conditions in 1950s - 1960s. Unemployment only rose above 2% in 8 of the years between 1948-1970.

Question 2

What impact did low unemployment have on industrial relations?

Answer 2

Improved industrial relations. Employers needed to keep skilled workers in workplaces - needed attractive conditions.

Question 3

What did employers offer in times of low unemployment to keep workers?

Answer 3

Began to offer benefits like cheap canteen facilities, sports and social clubs.

Question 4

How were employment opportunties improved?

Answer 4

Better education + better economy, more choice and more flexibility in how they were employed. More white collar + technological jobs in electronics, light engineering and the provision of consumer goods.

Question 5

How many people were employed in the car industry in 1956 when it became a major employer and what was the pay like despite the repetitive work?

Answer 5

500,000 people were directly employed in the production of motor vehicles. Good pay - weekly earnings for males in 1951 - £8.30 per week to £15.35 in 1961. £30.93 by 1971

Question 6

How did retail prices rise in relation to wages in the period 1945-1970?

Answer 6

Prices rose by 63% between 1955 - 1969, weekly wages went up 88%. Overtime made wages rise by 130%. People could buy more with their money as mass production made the cost of technology fall.

Question 7

When did unemployment begin to grow and where was it prominant?

Answer 7

Full employment began to decline before the commitment was abandoned - 1 million in 1972. Decline in heavy industry = unemployment was more prominent in the North, South Wales, the Midlands and Scotland.

Question 8

What did Labour conclude in 1976?

Answer 8

That PW job opportunities were no longer available. Abandoned commitment to full employment and accepted that market forces are more dominant than gov intervention.

Question 9

What policy was adopted in the 1950s and 1960s to unite TUs, employers and the government and why did it begin to fail?

Answer 9

Corporatism - gave unions a role in wage setting and industrial policy. Late 1960s and 1970s - TUs and gov became less cooperative and more antagonistic.

Question 10

How did TUs have their views heard more by the government after the war?

Answer 10

TU leaders appointed to gov bodies on wages, industry and social policy. 1939 - TU leaders sat on 12 committees 1949 - 50 committees

Question 11

How close was Labour with the unions after the war?

Answer 11

1945 - 120 Labour MPs sponsored directly by TUs including Ernest Bevin.
1945-1951 TUC and Labour had similar priorities in terms of social and economic policy.
Labour repealed 1927 Trades Disputes Act after GS - gave TUs more power

Question 12

When was the era of high employment and what impact did it have?

Answer 12

1950s - high TU membership which continued to grow in 1960s-1970s. TU leaders now prosperous and far removed from members. TUC general secretaries - Vic Feather and Len Murray - lived affluent lives

Question 13

How did older and newer TU members differ?

Answer 13

Older members had lived through the GD and wanted fair pay and conditions while new members were influenced by consumerism and wanted high pay out of greed

Question 14

Who were the shop stewards?

Answer 14

TU representatives from a factory for example, built power bases + called strike action before a decision had been made by senior union management, confrontational and aggressive

Question 15

How did strikes increase under the Conservative ADH in 1964?

Answer 15

Strikes increased involving 600,000 more people by 1964 with 1.1 million workers compared to 1951.

Question 16

What did middle class newspapers like The Times blame TUs for?

Answer 16

For weak econ performance during boom of the 1960s. TUs were associated with laziness, obstructiveness and abundance of power.

Question 17

What impact did the popular Harold Wilson have on TUs after 13 years of Conservative rule in 1964?

Answer 17

Projected an image popular with TUs - beer drinking, pipe smoking, wearing a mac and holidaying in the scilly isles. Allowed him to reduce their power

Question 18

What increased during the years of HW?

Answer 18

Wildcat strikes - not approved by TUC. 90% of strike action was unofficial suggesting the TUC weren’t to blame as they couldn’t control members

Question 19

How many days were lost to strikes each year during the 1960s and what did The Times call it?

Answer 19

3 million days on average lost each year to strikes during the 1960s, in 1968 this leapt to 4.7 million. The Times called it ‘the year of the strike’

Question 20

Why did TU militancy increase during the 1960s?

Answer 20

Due to increased inflation. The growth of affluence only benefitted those paid with above inflation pay increases, union workers tended to be exempt from this.

Question 21

How close was HW with TUs?

Answer 21

Close - arranged national wage increases to match prices. Leadership of TUC had been invited to 10 Downing Street for meetings.

Question 22

What white paper did Barbara Castle offer in 1969 to combat wildcat strikes?

Answer 22

Strike ballot before official action took place if it threatened the econ, workers in unofficial strikes led by shop stewards could be ordered back to work for a 28 day cooling off period, fines for those that broke rules

Question 23

How did In Place of Strife go down in 1969?

Answer 23

Widespread public support when the White Paper was published in 1969 - TUs opposed it. Labour was divided, JC opposed it, HW feared for his job and it was scrapped. Victory for TUs.

Question 24

What was the 1971 Industrial Relations Act?

Answer 24

Introduce measures suggest by BC. Effective - despite high inflation, TUC still refusing to co operate and comply. EH gov hesitated in enforcing its own new rules.

Question 25

Why did the miners strike in the 1970s?

Answer 25

Underpaid throughout 1960s. Wages 3% lower than manufacturing workers and high expectations of nationalisation had not been fulfilled. Felt they didn’t experience prosperity

Question 26

What happened to the coal industry in the 1960s that led to strikes in the 1970s?

Answer 26

Coal industry shrunk, National Coal Board closed 400 pits, 420,000 miners made redundant. Low wage claims were made to appeal to the NCB to prevent the closing of many pits in places like South Wales. Wages fell.

Question 27

What did TUs vote for in 1970 and what impact did it have?

Answer 27

33% pay increase - on par with other industries. NUM voted for strike action but only 50% agreed. Wave of unofficial strikes across the North of England, South Wales

Question 28

How did EH respond to unofficial strikes in 1970s and what consequence did it have?

Answer 28

EH gov imposed a pay policy that restricted possible pay rises to 8% and in Dec 1971 a strike ballot was successful = strike began 1972

Question 29

Who was Arthur Scargill?

Answer 29

Most high profile union member. Developed a new tactic of flying pickets. Used 1000 miners to quickly blockade power stations and coal depots.

Question 30

What impact did the 1972 strike have?

Answer 30

Reduced electricity output to 25%. Had 40,000 miners picketing in 500 seperate sites. EH hadn’t planned for the strike like SB had in 1926. Offered a 27% pay rise.

Question 31

Why was a second strike called by the NUM in the winter of 1973-1974?

Answer 31

Realisation that GB was dependent on coal due to oil crisis of 1973 meaning they could demand pay increases for their members.

Question 32

What impact did the strikes of 1973-1974 have?

Answer 32

Resulted in power cuts
State of Emergency declared
3 Day working week between Jan and March 1974
Businesses supplied with electricity for 3 days of the week

Question 33

What did EH do in response to the strikes in 1974?

Answer 33

EH ran a poll - Who runs GB? Wanted voters to back him against the TUs. Conservatives were defeated - showed lack of confidence in gov.

Question 34

How did Labour deal with industrial relations 1974-1979?

Answer 34

Labour repealed EH’s Industrial Relations Act. Negotiated a new policy of social contract = voluntary code to prevent the need for formal incomes policies, didn’t force anything

Question 35

Why were TU bosses now less influential than shop stewards in 1974?

Answer 35

Members felt the militancy worked, lack of control, difficult to ask members to stick to 6% pay rises while inflation was at 27%.

Question 36

What did the TUC accept in 1975?

Answer 36

Accepted to pay increases of £6 per week to workers earning less than £8500. Accepted further limits in 1976 and rejected a suggestion to end the social contract

Question 37

Why did the Winter of Discontent occur in 1977-1978?

Answer 37

Believed that free bargaining could return but warned against greedy unions. The following year he backtracked as inflation soured again, enforced strict 5% pay increase. Resulted in a winter of strike action in 1978-1979.

Question 38

How did Ford attempt to enforce social contract and what happend?

Answer 38

15,000 workers went on strike. Strike was unofficial, eventually endorsed though. Caused other Ford workers to strike - total number of workers refusing to work reached 57,000. Offered a rise of 17%

Question 39

What was the haulage strike of December 1978?

Answer 39

Lorry drivers overtime ban, demanded 40% pay rises. JC reluctant to declare a state of emergency. Oil refineries picketed, petrol didn’t reach stations, heating oil didn’t reach homes. Coldest winter since 1947.

Question 40

What was the public sector strike in 1979?

Answer 40

Nurses, grave diggers, ambulance, 999 telephone lines and bin men striked, cancer patients took london underground to get to hospital, got 11% pay rise

Question 41

What was the main consequence of the Winter of Discontent?

Answer 41

40% decline in positive attitudes towards TUs since 1960.