The Railwaymen: Volume 1: The History of the National Union of Railwaymen

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Original Title Page
Original Copyright Page
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
I: Before the Days of the Union
I. How the Railway Companies Kept the Loyalty of Their Men.
II. Petitions to the Directors.
III. Methods of Maintaining Discipline.
IV. Railway Strikes and Their Outcome, 1836–60.
V. Early Attempts at National Organization of Railwaymen. The Strike Wave of 1866–7.
II: The Foundation of the A.S.R.S.
I. Mr Bass Pleads with the Board of the Midland Railway.
II. Activities of Bassett-Vincent and Greenwood.
III. Early Meetings of the A.S.R.S. in London.
IV. Dr Baxter Langley as Mediator Between London and the Provinces.
V. The First Delegate Meeting, June 1872. Chapman Elected General Secretary.
VI. Reasons for the Successful Launching of the A.S.R.S.
III: The Struggle for Survival
I. Evans Replaces Chapman.
II. Unsuccessful Experiment in Decentralization.
III. Trade Depression; The Union Too Weak to Stop Wage Reductions.
IV. Evans's Plans for Strengthening the A.S.R.S.
V. Unfortunate Delay in Establishing a Protection Fund. Evans Resigns in Despair.
VI. Harford Succeeds Him and There is a Slow Recovery.
IV: A Chapter of Accidents
I. The Heavy Casualty Rate Among Railwaymen.
II. Railway Directors Oppose State Intervention.
III. A.S.R.S. Policy for Accident Prevention.
IV. Shunting Accidents; The Union Sponsors Exhibitions at Darlington and Nine Elms.
V. Permanent-Way Accidents; Demand for Lookout Men.
VI. The Agitation for Continuous Brakes.
VII. Workmen's Compensation on the Railways.
VIII. Caring for the Orphans.
V: 1887–91—The Fight for the First National Programme
I. Influence of the Dock Strike of 1889.
II. A.S.R.S. Executive Given Power to Sanction Strikes.
III. The Darlington Programme. Foundation of the General Railway Workers Union.
IV. Rapid Progress in Ireland.
V. Campaign on the North Eastern Railway.
VI. Strike on the Taff Vale Railway, 1890.
VII. The Scottish Railway Strike, 1890–1.
VIII. Significance of the Events of 1887–91.
VI: Inquest on Overwork
I. Parliamentary Agitation for the Limitation of Railwaymen's Hours of Labour; Select Committee Appointed.
II. The A.S.R.S. Gives Evidence.
III. Companies Oppose Plan for Legislation. The Railway Unions Disagree on Policy for Reducing Hours.
IV. The Case of Stationmaster Hood; Directors of Cambrian Railway Admonished in Parliament.
V. The Railway Servants (Hours of Labour) Act, 1893.
VII: The All-Grades Campaign of 1897
I. 85 Members of the Union Victimized on the London and North Western Railway. A Big Campaign Secures Their Reinstatement.
II. Unofficial Strike on Tyneside. Downfall of Harford. Lord James's Arbitration Award.
III. Demands of the Birmingham All-Grades Conference Rejected by the Companies.
IV. Growth of the Union in Ireland, Strike in the South and on the Midland in England.
V. Richard Bell Intervenes with the Board of Trade to Stop Victimization.
VIII: The A.S.R.S. and the Labour Party: Taff Vale
I. Early Leaders of the Union Were Lib.-Labs, but an I.L.P. Group Dominated the Executive 1897–9. James Holmes Moves A.S.R.S. Sponsored Resolutions at Plymouth T.U.C., September 1899.
II. The Shaky Start of the Labour Representation Committee.
III. Causes and Progress of the Taff Vale Strike, August 1900.
IV. The Taff Vale Case in the Courts.
V. Short Run and Long Run Effects of the Taff Vale Judgment.
IX: The A.S.R.S. and the Labour Party: The Osborne Case
I. Many Trade Unionists Still Unconvinced of the Need for a Labour Party.
II. Richard Bell Falls Out with the Labour Leadership and with His Colleagues in Parliament and Resigns as General Secretary.
III. Osborne's Attack on the Political Fund Supported by the Daily Express.
IV. The Osborne Case in the Courts.
V. The Source of Osborne's Funds.
VI. His Later Career.
VII. Political Consequences of the Osborne Judgment.
VIII. Mr. Williams Elected General Secretary. Unity House Opened.
X: The All-Grades Movement of 1906–7 and its Outcome
I. Railway Profits Rise Faster Than Railwaymen's Wages.
II. The All-Grades Programme.
III. Why the Directors Refused to Recognize the Union.
IV. Strike Ballot Conducted. Lloyd George Intervenes.
V. Directors Accept the Conciliation Scheme as an Alternative to Union Recognition.
XI: The Railway Conciliation Scheme of 1907
I. Neither the Unions nor the Directors are Enthusiastic for the new Venture.
II. A.S.R.S. Candidates Victorious in Conciliation Board Elections.
III. Reasons for Growing Discontent with the Scheme.
IV. The Financial Crisis of 1907–8 Has an Adverse Effect on Arbitrator's Awards.
V. Railway Companies Combine. Bigger Locomotives.
VI. Government Warned of Unrest in the Industry.
XII: 1911—The First National Railway Strike
I. General Labour Ferment. Railway Strike Started by the Rank and File.
II. Joint Union Executives Give Companies Twenty-Four Hours to Agree to Negotiate but Government Backs the Companies. Strike Notices Sent.
III. The Extent of the Stoppage. The Government Deploys 58,000 Soldiers.
IV. Government and Companies Climb Down.
V. Changes in the Conciliation Machinery.
VI. Some Improvements in Wages.
VII. The Foundation of the Triple Alliance.
XIII: The Foundation of the N.U.R.
I. The Views of the Five Unions on Fusion and Federation.
II. Early Attempts at Fusion, 1890–99.
III. The Federation Scheme, 1903–6.
IV. Renewed Attempts at Fusion, 1906–9.
V. Three Unions Merge to Form the N.U.R.
VI. Characteristics of the new Union.
VII. The Driver Knox and Guard Richardson Strikes.
XIV: The First World War
I. Industrial Truce. The Rush to Volunteer.
II. The Origins of the War Bonus. The Rise of J. H. Thomas.
III. Irish Settlement. The Employment of Women.
IV. Difficulties of Organizing the Shopmen. An Attempt at Fusion with the R.C.A.
V. No Agreement with the A.S.L.E. & F. for a new Conciliation Scheme.
VI. The N.U.R. and Proposals for Peace.
VII. The Leicester Programme, 1917.
XV: 1919—The 'Definitive' Strike
I. Coalition Cabinet Prepares for a Showdown with Labour.
II. Negotiations on Standardization of Wages. Government Concedes Most of Footplatemen's Demands in a Bid to Divide Railway Labour.
III. The 'Definitive' Offer; Breakdown of Negotiations.
IV. The Effectiveness of the Strike.
V. Activities of the Branches.
VI. Publicity Battle; Government Versus the N.U.R. and the Labour Research Department.
VII. The Settlement.
VIII. Why Mr Thomas Did not Seek the Support of the Triple Alliance.
XVI: The Railways Act, 1921
I. The Government Sidesteps the Demand for Nationalization of Transport; Plans for Workers' Participation in Management are Dropped. New Negotiating Machinery Under the Railways Act, 1921.
II. Establishment of the Sliding Scale.
III. Adverse Effect of 1921 Trade Slump on Railwaymen's Employment and Earnings.
IV. Decline in Union Membership and Funds. Special Levy to Help Unemployed Members.
V. Arbitration Court Award No. 728 for the Shopmen.
VI. The Marks System for Signalmen.
VII. Footplatemen's Strike, 1924.
VIII. The Expulsion of Mr Rochester and the Formation of the Union of Railway Signalmen.
IX. Growth of Road Transport Competition.
X. Unsettled Conditions in Ireland.
XVII: The Railwaymen and the Miners—The General Strike
I. The Triple Alliance. The Background to 'Black Friday' and 'Red Friday'.
II. 1926, the Decision to Support the Miners.
III. The N.U.R. in the General Strike. How Complete was the Railway Stoppage?
IV. The Role of Mr Thomas.
V. The Difficulties of the Return to Work.
VI. The 'Inquest' on Mr Thomas's Actions, Weymouth, July 1926.
VII. Effects of the General Strike on the Union's Finances.
XVIII: 1927–33: Backs to the Wall
I. Intensified Road Transport Competition.
II. Railway Companies Invest in Bus and Road Haulage Companies. Agreement Between the N.U.R. and T. & G.W.U. The Road Traffic Act, 1930.
III. Wage Cuts Imposed.
IV. Strikes in Northern Ireland, January 1933.
V. Mr Cramp Gives Evidence Before the Royal Commission on Transport.
VI. Mr Thomas Joins National Government, Resigns as General Secretary but Appeals for a Pension.
VII. Mr Cramp Appointed as His Successor but Dies Within Two Years.
XIX: Uncertain Recovery, 1934–9
I. Mr Marchbank Elected General Secretary. New Negotiating Machinery Set up.
II. The Long Fight to Restore the Wage Cuts.
III. New Agreement for Signalmen. Campaign for a Minimum Wage of 50s.
IV. Organization of Busmen, Hotel and Restaurant Car Staff and the Shopmen.
V. The N.U.R. Policy to Combat Fascism and War.
XX: The Second World War, 1939–45
I. Effects of Mobilization, the Blackout and the Dunkirk Evacuation on the Railwaymen.
II. Headquarters Moved to Wallingford. John Benstead Elected General Secretary.
III. The Employment of Women and P.o.Ws. Firewatching and Aircraft Spotting.
IV. Wage Negotiations.
V. The National Joint Committee of the N.U.R., A.S.L.E. & F. and R.C.A. N.U.R. Supports Independence for India.
VI. Post War Programme Drafted.
XXI: The Labour Government and the Transport Act
I. The Result of the General Election, July 1945.
II. The N.U.R. and the Transport Act, 1947.
III. Transport Commission Welcomed.
IV. Railway Wages Lag Behind.
V. Labour Shortage on the Railways.
VI. Difficulties of Transport Integration. 'Lodging Turn' Strikes.
VII. The Demand for 'Workers' Control'.
VIII. Election of Jim Figgins. Decision to Close Down the Union in Ireland.
IX. The Union's Political Policy.
XXII: The Transport Act 1953 and its Aftermath
I. Success of Public Transport After 1948.
II. Background to the Transport Act, 1953. Transport Commission's Finances Undermined by Growth of 'C' Licence Traffic and the Private Motor Car. The Modernization Plan, December 1954. Redundancy Agreements.
III. Wage Negotiations in the Fifties; New Negotiating Machinery.
IV. The Guillebaud Report.
V. Pension and Sickness Schemes for Railwaymen.
VI. Jim Campbell and Tom Hollywood Killed in Stalingrad. Mr Greene Becomes General Secretary.
VII. The N.U.R., German Rearmament and Nuclear War.
VIII. The N.U.R. and the Future of British Transport Policy.
Appendix A. Railwaymen and Working-Class Education
Appendix B. General Secretaries and Presidents of the Union
Appendix C. Table of Membership and Funds
Select Bibliography
Index