Inter-Union Relations on the Waterfront: Cardiff 1888–1914

M. J. Daunton

doi:10.1017/S0020859000005605

Inter-Union Relations on the Waterfront: Cardiff 1888–1914

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2008

M. J. Daunton

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The waterfront in the nineteenth century was notorious for its complex and fragmented labour market. The stevedores on board ship and the porters on the shore were always quite distinct. In London, there were then further divisions, between quay and warehouse workers, between the export and import trades. And within these broad divisions, workers would concentrate upon a particular commodity. Specialisation was rife: the labour-force was a complex body, lacking cohesion because of the diversity of products and functions, the variety of employers, and a casual system which restricted workers to particular localities and types of work. This clearly created problems when unionisation occurred. Each specialism tended to organise separately, and the result would be a plethora of unions somewhat overlapping and competing. In London, again, there was “an endless proliferation of small societies”.1 And quite apart from the complexity of union organisation amongst the dock workers there were the external relations with on the one side the seamen, and on the other railwaymen and carters. This is all to say that one of the key elements in labour relations on the waterfront before 1914 was inter-union relations.

Type: Research Article
Information: International Review of Social History , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , December 1977 , pp. 350 - 378

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859000005605 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1977

References

^{page 350 note 1} The comments on London are based upon Lovell, J., Stevedores and Dockers. A Study of Trade Unionism in the Port of London, 1870–1914 (1969)Google Scholar; ch. 2 discusses the labour-force, and chs 3–5 the problems created for the unions. See also Hobsbawm, E. J., “National unions on the waterside”, in Labouring Men. Studies in the History of Labour (1964), p. 210.Google Scholar

^{page 351 note 1} The dock strikes can be studied in Lovell, op. cit.; E. L. Taplin, Liverpool Dockers and Seamen 1870–1890 [Occasional Papers in Economic and Social History, No 6] (Hull, 1974); Brown, R., Waterfront Organisation in Hull 1870–1900 [Occasional Papers etc., No 5] (Hull, 1972).Google Scholar On the NTWF, see Phillips, G. A., “The National Transport Workers Federation, 1910–27” (Ph.D. Oxford, 1968).Google Scholar

^{page 351 note 2} M. J. Daunton, “Jack ashore. Unionisation of seamen in Cardiff before 1914”, in: Welsh History Review, forthcoming; id., “The Cardiff Coal Trimmers Union 1888–1914”, in: Llafur, forthcoming.

^{page 352 note 1} On the development of the port, see Daunton, , “Aristocrat and traders: The Bute Docks, 1839–1914”, in: Journal of Transport History, New Series, III (1975);Google Scholar id., Coal Metropolis: Cardiff 1870–1914 (1977).

^{page 352 note 2} For the scheme of 1882, see Minutes of Evidence, House of Lords and House of Commons, 1882, Bute Docks Bill, House of Lords Record Office.

^{page 354 note 1} J. McConnochie, The Bute Docks Cardiff and the Mechanical Appliances for Shipping Coal (1885, reprinted from Proceedings of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, August 1874); Royal Commission on Labour, Minutes of Evidence, Group B, Vol. II [Parliamentary Papers, 1892, XXXVI/II], qq. 13760, 13790–91, and Answers to Schedules of Questions, Group B [PP, 1892, XXXVI/III], pp. 85, 101; Minutes of Evidence, as above, p. 352, note 2, House of Lords, speech of counsel for Bute, qq. 1553–55,1558–61,1612, 1616; House of Commons, qq. 520, 580–82, 827, 1524, 1576, 1640, 1647–48, 1736–37, 1892, 3066–243, 5909, 6112, 6246–502, 6572–710, 7446–98, 7522–24, 7549, 7551–844.

^{page 354 note 2} Daunton, “Aristocrat and traders”, loc. cit.

^{page 354 note 3} This is dealt with at length in Daunton, M. J., “Aspects of the Social and Economic Structure of Cardiff, 1870–1914” (Ph.D. Kent, 1974), Pt 4, ch. 5.Google Scholar

^{page 354 note 4} See Daunton, “Jack ashore”, loc. cit.

^{page 355 note 1} Lovell, Stevedores and Dockers, ch. 3; Brown, Waterfront Organisation in Hull, op. cit., ch. 2; Taplin, Liverpool Dockers and Seamen, op. cit., p. 1; Daunton, “Aspects”, op. cit., II, pp. 45–48.

^{page 355 note 2} Webb Trade Union Collection, Section A (hereafter WTUC/A), Vol. IV, ff. 75–90; Vol. XLII, ff. 46–51, British Library of Political Science; South Wales Daily News (hereafter SWDN), 11 December 1889; 1 and 18 March 1890; Minute Books of the Cardiff Coal Trimmers Union, Miners Library, Swansea.

^{page 355 note 3} WTUC/A, Vol. IV ff. 75–90.

^{page 355 note 4} SWDN, 18 March, 19, 24, 25 and 30 July, 1 August 1890.

^{page 355 note 5} Ibid., 18 March.

^{page 355 note 6} Ibid., 25 July.

^{page 355 note 7} Ibid., 24 and 31 July, 1, 4 and 5 August.

^{page 356 note 1} Daunton, “Jack ashore”.

^{page 356 note 2} Daunton, “Aspects”, II, pp. 207–10; SWDN, 20 April and 9 December 1889; 14 February 1890; P. S. Bagwell, The Railwaymen (1963), p. 137; L. J.Williams, “The new unionism in south Wales, 1889–92”, in: Welsh History Review, I (1960).

^{page 356 note 3} SWDN, 4 August 1890.

^{page 357 note 1} Ibid., 7 August.

^{page 357 note 2} Ibid., 8 August.

^{page 358 note 1} Western Mail, 12 August 1890.

^{page 358 note 2} Bagwell, The Railwaymen, op. cit., pp. 138–39; Daunton, “Aspects”, II, pp. 212–14; Williams, “The new unionism”, loc. cit.

^{page 359 note 1} SWDN, 16 and 18 August 1890.

^{page 359 note 2} Ibid., 12, 18 and 26 August; Western Mail, 12 August; Bute Papers, IX 33, entry for 21 August 1890, Cardiff Central Library; Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, General Minutes 1884–92, monthly meeting of 20 August 1890, and Report of the Committee appointed on 20 August 1890 to consider with the representatives of capital and labour in the district, the formation either of conciliation boards or of a general board for the settlement of disputes, Glamorgan Record Office, D/D Com/C.

^{page 360 note 1} SWDN, 9 and 11–13 September, 20 and 25 November 1890; Royal Commission on Labour, Minutes of Evidence, Group B, Vol. II, q. 13757; Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, Report of the Committee appointed on 20 August 1890; Executive Committee Minute Book 1890–95, meeting with Trades Council, 14 October 1890.

^{page 361 note 1} SWDN, 8 September, 31 October, 7 and 8 November, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12 and 22 December 1890; 5 January and 20 February 1891.

^{page 361 note 2} Daunton, “Jack ashore”; SWDN, 29 July, 30 and 31 October, 1, 4, 6 and 7 November 1890; 21 January 1891; Cardiff Shipowners' Association, General Minute Book 1890–1902, 6 August 1890 (ff. 5–6), 12 August (ff. 7–8), 15 August (f. 9), 25 September (f. 16), Glamorgan Record Office, D/D Com/C.

^{page 362 note 1} SWDN, 3 and 4 February 1891.

^{page 362 note 2} Ibid., 5–7 and 12 February; Royal Commission on Labour, Minutes of Evidence, Group B, Vol. II, q. 13750, and Answers to Schedules of Questions, Group B, p. 116.

^{page 363 note 1} WTUC/A, Vol. XLII, f. 139; SWDN, 30 July, 1 August, 8 and 10 November 1890; 7, 11, 12 and 20 February, 3 March 1891.

^{page 364 note 1} The last two paragraphs are based upon “The Cardiff Coal Trimmers Union”, loc. cit.

^{page 365 note 1} SWDN, 11, 13 and 20 February 1891; Minutes of Evidence, as above, p. 362, note 2.

^{page 366 note 1} SWDN, 13, 14, 16–20, 25 and 26 February, 2–5 March 1891; E. W. Evans, Mabon. A Study in Trade Union Leadership (1959); id., The Miners of South Wales (1961).

^{page 366 note 2} Williams, , “The new unionism”, pp. 425–26Google Scholar; Clegg, H. A., Fox, A. and Thompson, A. F., A History of British Trade Unions since 1889, I: 1889–1910 (1964), pp. 74–75Google Scholar; Lovell, , Stevedores and Dockers, pp. 143–44Google Scholar; Gupta, P. S., “Railway trade unionism in Britain c. 1880–1900”, in; Economic History Review, Second Series, XIX (1966), pp. 134–35;Google ScholarEdwards, C., “Labour federations”, in: Economic Journal, III (1893), pp. 208, 419–20, 424; SWDN, 5 March 1891.Google Scholar

^{page 366 note 3} WTUC/A, Vol. IV, ff. 75–90.

^{page 367 note 1} SWDN, 13 May 1891.

^{page 367 note 2} See Daunton, , “Aspects”, II, pp. 64–70, 173–88.Google Scholar

^{page 368 note 1} Ibid., Pt IV, ch. 5; Bagwell, The Railwaymen, ch. 12.

^{page 368 note 2} Williams, L. J., “The road to Tonypandy”, in: Llafur, I (1973).Google Scholar

^{page 368 note 3} SWDN, 24 September 1910.

^{page 368 note 4} For example, ibid., 10 August.

^{page 368 note 5} Ibid., 12 April 1907; 5, 13, 18, 21, 29 and 30 August, 2 September 1910; 16 March, 2 and 30 May 1911.

^{page 368 note 6} Ibid., 15 June 1911.

^{page 369 note 1} Lovell, Stevedores and Dockers, pp. 156–58.

^{page 369 note 2} E. Tupper, Seamen's Torch (1938), pp. 39–40.

^{page 369 note 3} SWDN, 26 and 27 June 1911.

^{page 369 note 4} Ibid., 1 September 1899.

^{page 370 note 1} Ibid., 29 November and 1 December 1909; 31 May, 3, 4, 7 and 11 June, 6 and 8 September 1910; 23 January, 31 May, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15 and 19 June, 8, 10 and 11 July 1911; Tupper, Seamen's Torch, op. cit., p. 39.

^{page 370 note 2} SWDN, 3 and 4 July 1911.

^{page 370 note 3} Ibid., 3–5, 8, 10–13, 17 and 18 July.

^{page 371 note 1} Ibid., 19 July.

^{page 371 note 2} Ibid., 19–22 July.

^{page 372 note 1} Ibid., 21 and 22 July.

^{page 372 note 2} Ibid., 21, 22 and 25 July.

^{page 372 note 3} Ibid., 22 and 24 July; Shipowners' Association, General Minute Book 1903–10, ff. 95–104.

^{page 373 note 1} SWDN, 22 and 24 July 1911.

^{page 373 note 2} Ibid., 25–28 July.

^{page 374 note 1} Ibid., 5 August.

^{page 375 note 1} Ibid., 4, 5, 7, 15–17, 23, 25, 26 and 28–31 August, 24 November 1911; 22, 26 and 28 February 1912.

^{page 375 note 2} Ibid., 11, 21 and 23 December 1911; 6 and 17 January 1912; 26 February, 16 April, 28 May, 11 June and 11 July 1913.

^{page 375 note 3} Ibid., 13, 20, 23, 24 and 27 November, 7 and 11 December 1911; 27 August and 4 November 1912.

^{page 376 note 1} Daunton, “The Cardiff Coal Trimmers Union”; CCTU, Minutes 1910–12, 4 August 1911; SWDN, 12 April 1912.

^{page 377 note 1} Phillips, G. A., “The Triple Industrial Alliance in 1914”, in: Economic History Review, Second Series, XXIV (1971).Google Scholar

^{page 378 note 1} Lindop, F. J., “A History of Seamen's Trade Unionism to 1929” (M.Ph. London, 1972);Google ScholarMogridge, B., “Militancy and inter-union rivalries in British shipping, 1911–1929”, in: International Review of Social History, VI (1961).Google Scholar

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Inter-Union Relations on the Waterfront: Cardiff 1888–1914

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