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British Trade Unionism, 1750-1850: The Formative Years
275 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1988
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January 8, 2014
TRADE UNIONISM: THE EARLY YEARS
John Rule (not Rice?) the author of a number of books on the 18th and 19th century that take an interest in the lifes and circumstances of ordinary labourers including "The Labouring Classes in Early Industrial England, 1750-1850" has edited a collection of essays on the early Trade Union movement.
The essays look not just at formal Trade Unionism which was at that time in its early stages, but at the largely informal and ad-hoc groupings of workers in various factorys, trades and localities. Though somewhat constrained by the scarcity of archival material these occasional groupings have left behind for the perusal of posterity, the essayists make an interesting attempt to piece together some facts about the forms these early movements took. Highlights include John Rules essay "The Formative Years of British Trade Unionism: An Overview", Maxine Bergs "Workers and Machinery in Eighteenth-century England" and "Employers and Trade Unions, 1824-1850" by Michael Haynes.
Though the essays are written by Academics they are written in a clear and straightforward manner with only occasional pieces of jargon by a few of the essayists. I found it a fascinating and more than adequate exploration of early Labour history, though definitely a book for someone who has a particular interest in these matters and some general knowledge of the subject.
John Rule (not Rice?) the author of a number of books on the 18th and 19th century that take an interest in the lifes and circumstances of ordinary labourers including "The Labouring Classes in Early Industrial England, 1750-1850" has edited a collection of essays on the early Trade Union movement.
The essays look not just at formal Trade Unionism which was at that time in its early stages, but at the largely informal and ad-hoc groupings of workers in various factorys, trades and localities. Though somewhat constrained by the scarcity of archival material these occasional groupings have left behind for the perusal of posterity, the essayists make an interesting attempt to piece together some facts about the forms these early movements took. Highlights include John Rules essay "The Formative Years of British Trade Unionism: An Overview", Maxine Bergs "Workers and Machinery in Eighteenth-century England" and "Employers and Trade Unions, 1824-1850" by Michael Haynes.
Though the essays are written by Academics they are written in a clear and straightforward manner with only occasional pieces of jargon by a few of the essayists. I found it a fascinating and more than adequate exploration of early Labour history, though definitely a book for someone who has a particular interest in these matters and some general knowledge of the subject.
Displaying 1 of 1 review