London Trades Council facts for kids
The London Trades Council was an important group that brought together trade unionists in London. Think of it like a big club for workers' unions. Its main goal was to help workers get better pay, safer working conditions, and fairer treatment. Today, a similar group called the Greater London Association of Trades (Union) Councils continues this work.
Contents
The Story of the London Trades Council
Leading figures from London's worker groups started meeting in 1848. They called themselves the "Metropolitan Trades Delegates." A big event in 1859, the London builders' strike, showed them they needed to work together more. This led to the idea of forming a proper trades council.
Forming the Council
The London Trades Council was officially created at a meeting on May 18, 1860. It was one of the first groups of its kind in the country. Other similar councils had already started in Sheffield and Glasgow (1858), and Edinburgh (1859).
The unions involved wanted a maximum workday of nine hours. When employers said no, workers went on strike. Employers then used a "lockout" to stop workers from coming in. Even though the unions didn't win this time, they learned the importance of working together. This strong feeling of solidarity helped them form the city-wide council.
The council asked its member unions to pay a small fee. This helped cover their costs. By 1862, about 11,300 members were officially paying. However, the meetings often included representatives from unions with around 50,000 members in total.
Early Years and National Influence
In the early 1860s, many people who later became famous in the national trade union movement joined the council's leadership. These included George Howell, George Odger, and Robert Applegarth. The council helped unions in many conflicts across London. For example, the builders' strike of 1861 was very successful.
Before the national Trades Union Congress (TUC) was formed in 1868, the London Trades Council was a major voice for workers across the country. Its early leaders were sometimes called the "Junta" because they were so influential. They fought for important rights, like the right for working men to vote. They also pushed for laws to make working conditions better and for fair ways to settle disagreements between workers and employers.
The council worked closely with the International Workingmen's Association, also known as the First International. However, they decided not to officially join this international group.
Changes and New Unions
As the TUC grew, the London Trades Council became less of a national leader. But it still remained the most important trades council in the UK. George Shipton became the council's secretary and started a newspaper called the Labour Standard.
Around 1888, a new movement called "New Unionism" started in London. This movement brought together many different types of workers, not just skilled ones. At first, the London Trades Council, which was mostly made up of skilled workers, didn't get involved much. But by 1890, 38 new unions joined the council. This almost doubled its membership to nearly 60,000! More radical leaders like Tom Mann and James Macdonald were then elected to the council's executive.
These new unions felt the council was too focused on London's center. So, local trades councils started forming across London, like the West Ham Trades and Labour Council in 1891. The new unions also convinced the London Trades Council to push for an eight hour day. The first May Day demonstration for this cause happened in Hyde Park in 1890.
Politics and the Labour Party
The trades council supported the creation of the London County Council, a local government body. They first supported the Progressive Party, helping some of their members win seats. However, by 1895, they felt the Progressive Party wasn't radical enough. So, they started working with the Independent Labour Party (ILP) and the Social Democratic Federation (SDF).
In 1903, the council joined the national Labour Representation Committee, which later became the Labour Party. In 1914, the London Trades Council played a big role in setting up the London Labour Party, which then officially joined the national Labour Party.
World Wars and Later Years
The council had different opinions about supporting World War I, but they all agreed they were against forcing people to join the army. After the war, the council became even more radical.
During the 1926 UK general strike, the London Trades Council was very important in organizing workers in London. However, in 1953, the TUC stopped recognizing the council. This was because the TUC wanted to reduce the influence of the Communist Party in trades councils across the country. A new London Trades Council (1952) was then formed.
Leadership Roles
The London Trades Council had many important leaders over the years. Here are some of the people who held key positions:
Secretaries
- 1860: Tom Jones
- 1861: George Howell
- 1862: George Odger
- 1872: George Shipton
- 1896: James MacDonald
- 1913: Fred Knee
- 1914: John Stokes
- 1917: Duncan Carmichael
- 1926: Alfred M. Wall
- 1938: Robert Willis
- 1945: Julius Jacobs
Chairs
- 1860: John D. Nieass (Plasterers)
- 1862: George Odger
- 1863: Mildred (Carpenters and Joiners)
- as of 1867: Robert Danter (Engineers)
- as of 1869: John Jeffery (Bricklayers)
- as of 1873: T. Warren (West End Boot Closers)
- as of 1885: Thomas Abrey (Perseverance Carpenters)
- as of 1893-1894: George Courtenay
- 1896: Ben Cooper (Cigar Makers)
- 1899: Joe Gregory (Masons)
- 1904: Harry Quelch (Compositors)
- 1906: Harry Gosling (Watermen)
- 1910: Harry Quelch (Compositors)
- 1913: John Stokes (Glassblowers)
- 1914: Edward Friend (Bookbinders)
- 1940: George Lindgren (Railway Clerks)
- 1942: Jock Tiffin (Transport Workers)
- 1948: Geoffrey Collings (Railway Clerks)
- 1950: Ted Sheehan (Transport Workers)
- 1951: Fred Tonge (Transport Staff)
- 1952: M. Bass (Fire Brigades)
Treasurers
- 1860: John Heap (Engineers)
- 1870s: H. R. King (Bookbinders)
- by 1892: W. C. Steadman (Barge Builders)
- 1910s: Ben Cooper (Cigar Makers)
- 1917: John Stokes (Glassblowers)
- 1942: Harry Hynd (Railway Clerks)
- 1946: Henry Levitt (Insurance Officials)
- 1951: W. N. Chellingworth (Bookbinders)
- 1952: David Henry Lewis (Medical Practitioners)
See also
Images for kids
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Poster issued by the London Trades Council, advertising a demonstration held on 2 June 1873.
