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British Trade Union History Trivia Quiz

A few questions on the history of organized labour in Britain.

A multiple-choice quiz by TabbyTom. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
TabbyTom

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
70,526

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
814

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 92 (5/10), Guest 208 (0/10), Guest 92 (5/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What name is given to the Acts of Parliament of 1799 and 1800, which forbade workers to combine together to raise wages or improve working conditions? Hint

Labour Relations Acts

Conspiracy Acts

Anti-Union Acts

Combination Acts

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. In 1834 six Dorset farm labourers were sentenced to be transported to Australia, ostensibly for the crime of administering an unlawful oath. By what name are these men usually known?

Answer: (Two Words - T******** M******)

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Question 3 of 10

3. A famous strike took place in July 1888, involving 1,500 female employees at the factory of Bryant and May at Bow in East London. What did Bryant and May manufacture? Hint

Cigarettes

Matches

Clothing

Chocolate

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Question 4 of 10

4. In August and September 1889 the London dockers went on strike. What was their main demand? Hint

An eight-hour day

A wage of sixpence an hour

Paid holidays

The ending of casual labour

5. In a court case in 1901, it was ruled that a union was liable to pay damages to an employer for losses occasioned by a strike. This case is generally known by the name of the plaintiff, which was a small railway company. What was this name? Hint

Great Western

London Chatham and Dover

Stockton and Darlington

Taff Vale

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Question 6 of 10

6. The Osborne judgment of 1909, given against a railwaymen's union, was a further setback for unions. What did the judgment forbid unions to do? Hint

Picket employers' premises

Use their funds for political purposes

Strike in sympathy with workers in other industries

Operate a closed shop

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time of the General Strike? Hint

Andrew Bonar Law

David Lloyd George

Ramsay MacDonald

Stanley Baldwin

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Question 8 of 10

8. An agreement between TUC-affiliated unions was signed in 1939 to prevent unions from 'poaching' one another's members. It takes its name from a seaside town. What is it called? Hint

The Bridlington Agreement

The Brighton Agreement

The Blackpool Agreement

The Southend Agreement

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Which trade union leader became Minister of Labour in the wartime coalition government? Hint

Ernest Bevin

Frank Cousins

Walter Citrine

Ben Tillett

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Question 10 of 10

10. In 1984 the government banned trade unions in which government office? Hint

MI5

Government Communications HQ

The Cabinet Office

The Meteorological Office

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 10 2024 : Guest 92: 5/10
Dec 10 2024 : Guest 208: 0/10
Dec 04 2024 : Guest 92: 5/10
Nov 05 2024 : Guest 82: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What name is given to the Acts of Parliament of 1799 and 1800, which forbade workers to combine together to raise wages or improve working conditions?

Answer: Combination Acts

The maximum sentence for an offence was three months' imprisonment or two months in a house of correction with hard labour. These Acts were repealed in 1824.

2. In 1834 six Dorset farm labourers were sentenced to be transported to Australia, ostensibly for the crime of administering an unlawful oath. By what name are these men usually known?

Answer: Tolpuddle Martyrs

Trade unions were legal by this time, but there were still laws which unions could contravene unless they were very careful. One of these was the Unlawful Oaths Act of 1797, which had been passed after mutinies in the Royal Navy.

3. A famous strike took place in July 1888, involving 1,500 female employees at the factory of Bryant and May at Bow in East London. What did Bryant and May manufacture?

Answer: Matches

The 'match-girls' strike' lasted two weeks, and the employees, supported by some well known public figures, gained virtually all they asked for.

4. In August and September 1889 the London dockers went on strike. What was their main demand?

Answer: A wage of sixpence an hour

The 'dockers' tanner' was conceded by the employers after three weeks. ('Tanner' was a common nickname in Britain for six pre-decimal pence = one half of a shilling = one fortieth of a pound). The strike had widespread support, and funds were sent to the dockers from as far afield as Australia.

Answer: Taff Vale

The judgment effectively outlawed strikes as a weapon of organized labour. In 1906, a newly elected Liberal government passed the Trade Disputes Act, which gave unions protection against claims for strike damages.

6. The Osborne judgment of 1909, given against a railwaymen's union, was a further setback for unions. What did the judgment forbid unions to do?

Answer: Use their funds for political purposes

The use of funds for political purposes was legalized in certain circumstances by the Trade Union Act of 1913.

7. Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time of the General Strike?

Answer: Stanley Baldwin

The purpose of the strike was to persuade the government to intervene in a dispute in the coal industry. It collapsed after only nine days, since the strikers could not prevent the government from keeping essential services running. The mineworkers remained on strike for a further six months, but eventually had to return to work on the employers' terms.

8. An agreement between TUC-affiliated unions was signed in 1939 to prevent unions from 'poaching' one another's members. It takes its name from a seaside town. What is it called?

Answer: The Bridlington Agreement

9. Which trade union leader became Minister of Labour in the wartime coalition government?

Answer: Ernest Bevin

Bevin was, from 1911, an official of the Dockers' Union. He played a leading part in forming the Transport and General Workers' Union in 1922, and was active in the International Labour Organization. He became Foreign Secretary in the post-war Labour government.

10. In 1984 the government banned trade unions in which government office?

Answer: Government Communications HQ

The ban was lifted after the New Labour government was elected in 1997.

Source: Author TabbyTom

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