Published by Primary Source Microfilm

The period from the late 1880s was a watershed for industrial relations, as workers in many industries intensified their struggle to secure economic and social rights from their employers. In doing so, they transformed the trades union movement into a dynamic force which radically altered the face of British industrial and political life, and crystallized the working classes' sense of identity.

This microfilm collection allows the scholar to trace these developments in all their complexity, from the strikes which prompted the growth of the New Unionism in the 1880s, through to the years of disillusionment following the first Labour government in 1924, to the growing militancy that culminated in the General Strike.

In particular, it illustrates the full complexity of class conflict embodied in the trades union movement, as workers struggled between acceptance of radical middle class ideology and finding their own political voice. It includes a wealth of valuable material, including:

• Official reports on strikes and lock-outs
• Hours of labor
• Trade unions
• Standard time rates
• Standard piece rates
• Rules of voluntary conciliation
• Arbitration boards and joint committees

The collection will be of great interest to political scientists, sociologists, and those researching the history of industrial-relations.

Series One: Official Reports on Strikes and Lockouts, Labor Statistics, Earnings and Hours of Labour, 1888-1934
11 reels

Series Two: Official Reports on Trade Unions, Standard Time Rates, Standard Piece Rates, Rules of Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Boards and Joint Committees, 1887-1934
11 reels

Complete Collection: 22 reels