A History of British Trade Unionism

by Henry Pelling

The author leads the reader through a story of struggle and development covering more than four from the medieval guilds and early craftsmen's and labourers' associations to the dramatic growth of trade unionism in Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries. He shows how powerful personalities such as Robert Applegarth, Henry Broadhurst, Tom Mann, Ernest Bevin and Walter Citrine have helped to shape the pattern of present-day unionism, and for this edition he has added a chapter "On the the 1980s". The author also wrote "The Origins of the Labour Party".

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

A specialist in modern British political history, Henry Mathison Pelling was educated at Birkenhead School and St John's College, Cambridge. He taught at Queen's College, Oxford and St. John's College, Cambridge.

Reviews

[Fran Henderson]

Bit of a slog

[Marc Lamot]

Thorough historical overview of the rise of the British trade unions. This is a classic.

[Rob M]

A rich, in-depth industrial and political history of modern Britain - if at times a little dry!

This book will be of no use at all to someone new to trade unionism looking to read about how it all works. It doesn't go into organising methods or theories of how to conduct industrial relations. If you are new to the movement and trying to build up your organising skills, perhaps try Len McCluskey's Why You Should be a Trade Unionist as a starter for ten.

However, A History of British Trade Unionism will be of absolutely critical importance to anyone holding, or aspiring to hold office in the labour movement. Like the institution of trade unionism itself, this book conveys deftly the weight of responsibility that lies on the shoulders of those who are the temporary stewards of a great and historic movement.

At a time when organised labour is, once again, locked in an existential battle for its own existence in a rapidly changing world, going to back to its roots and learning about where it came from is the perfect way to help focus on where it might be going.

The book will also be a perfect addition to the collection of any student of British social and economic history. It picks up nicely where, for example, E.P. Thompson's The Making of the English Working Class leaves off, and provides detailed specialist information that will add character and depth to broader histories by the likes of Eric Hobsbawm or A.J.P. Taylor.

To conclude - highly recommended to the right reader.

[Daniel Clemence]

I gave this such a high rating partly because I felt that it gave some strong insight into trade union and political history.
For a start, the book was the first to show me that the working class was invented by the trade unions in order to create a cohesive movement. Before the trade union movement, there were multiple working classes and they didn't see eye to eye. The part about Marxists taking over trade unions in the Fifties felt close to home, like the battles between the centre and Left of the Labour party. An underrated book.

[Andrew Stone]

A useful but somewhat plodding account of British trade unionism. Pelling shows wide research into industrial relations but very much from the trade union official's perspective - there is little description or excitement about the actions of the rank and file. Even major disputes - such as the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Dublin Lockout are given scant attention compared to mergers and membership figures. There is surely scope for a more bottom-up account.

[Oz]

Comprehensive, very dry, doesn't mention race until the very end where it acknowledges but also excuses racism & xenophobia within trade unions. I don't even necessarily disagree with the argument that racism by the unions was largely from a place of anger that immigrants were often hired for cheap to avoid raising wages, but you do actually have to argue the point, rather than just take it as given, and then go on to discuss that exploitation.

[holly]

Dry AF