London dock strike, 1889 facts for kids
The London Dock Strike was a big protest by dock workers in London. It started on August 14, 1889. About 100,000 workers went on strike. They won their demands, and this helped create strong trade unions for dockers. One of these unions became very important across the country.
This strike is seen as a major event in British worker history. It showed the rise of "New Unions." These unions helped workers who were not skilled and were paid very little. Before this, most unions were for skilled workers. The strike also brought attention to how much poverty there was in Victorian Britain. Many people felt sympathy for the dockers.
Why the Strike Happened
Workers at the docks often had very hard lives. Colonel G. R. Birt, a manager at the Millwall Docks, described their situation. He said the workers were poorly dressed and often had no food. They would work for a short time, earn a small amount of money, and then leave to buy food. This was often the first food they had eaten in a whole day.
Before the strike, most dockers were not part of any union. But once the strike began, many joined the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union. The main thing they wanted was the "dockers' tanner." This meant they wanted to be paid sixpence (an old British coin) for every hour they worked.
The strike was known for its large, peaceful marches. These marches impressed many middle-class people. Important figures, like Cardinal Manning, supported the workers. Cardinal Manning even helped talk to both the workers and the dock owners. He was seen as fair by everyone. After the strike ended, the workers collected money for him. He then gave this money to a local hospital.
Many important organizers became well-known during the strike. These included Ben Tillett, John Burns, and Tom Mann. A local politician named John Benn also became very important. He later became a Member of Parliament.
The London Dock Strike followed other protests by unskilled workers. For example, the "match-girls" at the Bryant and May factory went on strike in 1888. Gas workers in London also successfully formed a union. But the dockers' strike was even bigger. This was because so many workers were involved. Also, dockers did not have a good reputation before the strike.
How the Dispute Started
The dock strike began because of a disagreement about "plus" money. This was extra money paid for finishing work quickly. It happened when workers were unloading a ship called the Lady Armstrong at the West India Docks.
The East and West India Docks Company had cut these "plus" rates. They did this to attract more ships to their docks. But it meant workers earned less, which made them very unhappy.
What People Thought
Cardinal Manning's involvement in the strike was very important. He helped both sides reach an agreement. His actions were seen as a sign of what the Catholic Church would later say about workers' rights. Two years later, Pope Leo XIII wrote a letter called Rerum novarum. This letter talked about "the condition of the working classes." It said that workers had the right to form unions. It also said that both workers and owners needed each other to create a good society.
Cardinal Manning's role in the strike also influenced a writer named Hilaire Belloc. Belloc was 19 at the time. He later became a strong voice for the Catholic Church. He learned from Cardinal Manning that it was important to criticize both unfair business practices and some ideas of socialism.
See also
- Stepney Historical Trust
