3.7 TRADE UNION MILITANCY IN IRELAND, 1907-14
Introduct Ireland = rural economy – pasture and tillage make up most income
ion and employment
Industrial revolution economic diversity significant industries in
Ulster
o Step towards a modern economy meant the population enjoyed
healthy incomes
o Increased urbanisation meant city populations increased faster
than infrastructures could provide for
o Created a vast gap between the rich and poor
o Increased injustice as employers exploited workers
o Catholics failed to share the same employment opportunities as
Protestants, increasing industrial discontent
Urbanisation greater militancy as workers realised their rights and
conditions
o Driven by James Larkin
o Successfully organised the Irish workforce into unions to improve
conditions
o Threatened employers confrontation and the emerging labour
movement which influenced industrial relations after 1913
How effective were the attempts to unionise trades and industry in the
years 1907-09?
Growth Context
of Rapid urbanisation – e.g. Dublin population 180,000 1800 to
unionism: 290,000 by 1900
working Workforce exploited for profits
and living Lack of comprehensive unionisation for all workers
condition Majority of unskilled workers in casual work (dockers, carters) only
s employed when necessary – excessive hours with no job security
Impact on working conditions
Dangerous conditions
Low wages – weekly cost of living 22 shillings and 5 pence, average
labourer earned 10 shillings
Excessive hours – Belfast dockers worked 75 hours/week, but failed
to cover basic necessities
20% of Belfast shipyard workers employed 1908-9 depression
Reduced life expectancy – 1900-02 49.3 males and 49.6 females
Mortality rate 153/1,000 in Belfast vs 169/1,000 in Dublin in 1900
1901 – legal working age raised to 12
Impact on living conditions
Rapid migration insufficient infrastructure (slums, 20,000 families
lived in one room)
50% of 1,254 local families in Dublin lived in poverty and failed to
meet basic health requirements
Malnourishment as diets lacked necessary vitamins and minerals
Dublin’s mortality rate in 1905 23/1,000 vs London’s 15.6/1,000
Pulmonary TB = main cause of death – spread by a weakened
immune system, thrived in poor living conditions (tenements)
National Vehicle for achieving better conditions for lower skilled dock workers
Union of who previously had no representation
Dock Led by Larkin – recruited and organised Belfast dockers
, 3.7 TRADE UNION MILITANCY IN IRELAND, 1907-14
Labourer
s (1907) Aim (Belfast strike, 1907)
Protect unskilled workers
Better working and living conditions
Successes
Larkin successfully united Belfast’s 3,100 dockers, both Protestant
and Catholics
Broad strike, drawing support from carters and some skilled workers
in secondary strike action – no one willing to transport goods
elsewhere despite backleggers
July – sympathetic PO Barrett refused to ride in a vehicle
transporting backleggers mutiny as 300 other PO. refused to
protect backleggers troops had to be drafted
Failures
May 1907 – co-ordinated a strike against the Belfast Steamship
company for union recognition, shorter working hours and better
wages but they refused to consider
10 August meeting attended by 10,000 clash with troops and 2
deaths
Leader Sexton sought to find a deal – MC arbitrators, acting as a
mediator between the employer and employee
Carter’s persuaded back to work after promises of wage increases,
but no union recognition dockers isolated and defeated by the
end of August
Significance
First time unskilled workers strike for their own benefit
Opportunity for unskilled workers to assert themselves after
conservatism and skilled workers dominated TU before the 20 th
century
Widespread worker solidarity increasing the potency of WC
industrial actions
Generated sympathy among Belfast WC
United Protestants and Catholics – potential to overcome religious
barrier and unite against employers
Positive experience from the POV of further, future action
Eventually defeated with a failure to achieve demands
Worker’s position didn’t improve significantly – arguably due to
Sexton’s backtracking who sought to diffuse the explosive situation,
undermining the effectiveness of strike action and left many
vulnerable
Alienated Larkin who felt disappointed by NUDL leadership and its
conservative feelings towards the August meeting
The Irish Context
Transport Belfast dock strike evidenced growing WC voice and confidence in
and TU but worker’s conditions failed to improve substantially
General Larkin disappointed by the NUDL created a new union to co-
Workers ordinate workers: the ITGWU,
Union Broad organisation for all trades, but specifically unrepresented
(1909) unskilled workers meant it would promote a much larger
membership
Introduct Ireland = rural economy – pasture and tillage make up most income
ion and employment
Industrial revolution economic diversity significant industries in
Ulster
o Step towards a modern economy meant the population enjoyed
healthy incomes
o Increased urbanisation meant city populations increased faster
than infrastructures could provide for
o Created a vast gap between the rich and poor
o Increased injustice as employers exploited workers
o Catholics failed to share the same employment opportunities as
Protestants, increasing industrial discontent
Urbanisation greater militancy as workers realised their rights and
conditions
o Driven by James Larkin
o Successfully organised the Irish workforce into unions to improve
conditions
o Threatened employers confrontation and the emerging labour
movement which influenced industrial relations after 1913
How effective were the attempts to unionise trades and industry in the
years 1907-09?
Growth Context
of Rapid urbanisation – e.g. Dublin population 180,000 1800 to
unionism: 290,000 by 1900
working Workforce exploited for profits
and living Lack of comprehensive unionisation for all workers
condition Majority of unskilled workers in casual work (dockers, carters) only
s employed when necessary – excessive hours with no job security
Impact on working conditions
Dangerous conditions
Low wages – weekly cost of living 22 shillings and 5 pence, average
labourer earned 10 shillings
Excessive hours – Belfast dockers worked 75 hours/week, but failed
to cover basic necessities
20% of Belfast shipyard workers employed 1908-9 depression
Reduced life expectancy – 1900-02 49.3 males and 49.6 females
Mortality rate 153/1,000 in Belfast vs 169/1,000 in Dublin in 1900
1901 – legal working age raised to 12
Impact on living conditions
Rapid migration insufficient infrastructure (slums, 20,000 families
lived in one room)
50% of 1,254 local families in Dublin lived in poverty and failed to
meet basic health requirements
Malnourishment as diets lacked necessary vitamins and minerals
Dublin’s mortality rate in 1905 23/1,000 vs London’s 15.6/1,000
Pulmonary TB = main cause of death – spread by a weakened
immune system, thrived in poor living conditions (tenements)
National Vehicle for achieving better conditions for lower skilled dock workers
Union of who previously had no representation
Dock Led by Larkin – recruited and organised Belfast dockers
, 3.7 TRADE UNION MILITANCY IN IRELAND, 1907-14
Labourer
s (1907) Aim (Belfast strike, 1907)
Protect unskilled workers
Better working and living conditions
Successes
Larkin successfully united Belfast’s 3,100 dockers, both Protestant
and Catholics
Broad strike, drawing support from carters and some skilled workers
in secondary strike action – no one willing to transport goods
elsewhere despite backleggers
July – sympathetic PO Barrett refused to ride in a vehicle
transporting backleggers mutiny as 300 other PO. refused to
protect backleggers troops had to be drafted
Failures
May 1907 – co-ordinated a strike against the Belfast Steamship
company for union recognition, shorter working hours and better
wages but they refused to consider
10 August meeting attended by 10,000 clash with troops and 2
deaths
Leader Sexton sought to find a deal – MC arbitrators, acting as a
mediator between the employer and employee
Carter’s persuaded back to work after promises of wage increases,
but no union recognition dockers isolated and defeated by the
end of August
Significance
First time unskilled workers strike for their own benefit
Opportunity for unskilled workers to assert themselves after
conservatism and skilled workers dominated TU before the 20 th
century
Widespread worker solidarity increasing the potency of WC
industrial actions
Generated sympathy among Belfast WC
United Protestants and Catholics – potential to overcome religious
barrier and unite against employers
Positive experience from the POV of further, future action
Eventually defeated with a failure to achieve demands
Worker’s position didn’t improve significantly – arguably due to
Sexton’s backtracking who sought to diffuse the explosive situation,
undermining the effectiveness of strike action and left many
vulnerable
Alienated Larkin who felt disappointed by NUDL leadership and its
conservative feelings towards the August meeting
The Irish Context
Transport Belfast dock strike evidenced growing WC voice and confidence in
and TU but worker’s conditions failed to improve substantially
General Larkin disappointed by the NUDL created a new union to co-
Workers ordinate workers: the ITGWU,
Union Broad organisation for all trades, but specifically unrepresented
(1909) unskilled workers meant it would promote a much larger
membership
