Unions
Towards the end of the 19th century more and more workers joined work unions, since they were hoping for protection and support. Working conditions were bad, the often dangerous work was paid poorly and the casual nature of dock labour fueled the dockers' discontent.
London Dock Strike of 1889
During that time there was a fierce competition between the different dock companies because of a depression at the trade market and the resulting oversupply of docks. The East and West India Company wanted to save money and planned on cutting the bonus for the workers, which they got when they worked fast. This was the straw to break the camel's back. The workers, under the lead of Ben Tillett, left the dock and persuaded others to join them.
Other groups of workers, like lightermen, engineers or rope makers, followed and strikes broke out daily.
One newspaper reported:
Dockmen, lightermen, bargemen, cement workers, carmen, ironworkers and even factory girls are coming out. If it goes on a few days longer, all London will be on holiday. The great machine by which five millions of people are fed and clothed will come to a dead stop, and what is to be the end of it all? The proverbial small spark has kindled a great fire which threatens to envelop the whole metropolis. (Evening News & Post, 26 August 1889)
Their demands
They asked for an advance in wages generally and for more money at special times. In addition, they wanted the short-time work of only two or three hours and the "plus"- and "contract"-system to be abolished.
Effects of the strike
The strike lasted from 14 August - 15 September 1889. An important person was Cardinal Manning (1808-1892), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster. He functioned as a mediator and persuaded the employers to meet most of the workers' demands. After the strike a lot of workers were organised in unions. After the successful strike, the dockers formed a new General Labourers' Union. In London alone, nearly 20,000 men joined this new union. The success of the Dockers' Strike was a turning point in the history of trade unionism
London Dock Strike of 1889
During that time there was a fierce competition between the different dock companies because of a depression at the trade market and the resulting oversupply of docks. The East and West India Company wanted to save money and planned on cutting the bonus for the workers, which they got when they worked fast. This was the straw to break the camel's back. The workers, under the lead of Ben Tillett, left the dock and persuaded others to join them.
Other groups of workers, like lightermen, engineers or rope makers, followed and strikes broke out daily.
One newspaper reported:
Dockmen, lightermen, bargemen, cement workers, carmen, ironworkers and even factory girls are coming out. If it goes on a few days longer, all London will be on holiday. The great machine by which five millions of people are fed and clothed will come to a dead stop, and what is to be the end of it all? The proverbial small spark has kindled a great fire which threatens to envelop the whole metropolis. (Evening News & Post, 26 August 1889)
Their demands
They asked for an advance in wages generally and for more money at special times. In addition, they wanted the short-time work of only two or three hours and the "plus"- and "contract"-system to be abolished.
Effects of the strike
The strike lasted from 14 August - 15 September 1889. An important person was Cardinal Manning (1808-1892), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster. He functioned as a mediator and persuaded the employers to meet most of the workers' demands. After the strike a lot of workers were organised in unions. After the successful strike, the dockers formed a new General Labourers' Union. In London alone, nearly 20,000 men joined this new union. The success of the Dockers' Strike was a turning point in the history of trade unionism