The Research On The Trade Union Policy Of Coalition Government In Britain During World War ?

The second world war broke out in September 1939.Churchill formed Coalition Government in May 1940.Manpower which could supply soldiers and production,is critical for British government to win the war.However,Trade Union plays an important role in it.One scholar said that “Trade Union was seen as the fifth largest property of British Empire in 1940 s.It's an indispensable part of the consensus politics and society”.According to the situation of prewar British government and trade union,how to maximum arouse the enthusiasm of union became an important problem for the coalition government.So,the government introduced a series of policies which involving the vital interests of union.And they caused important interaction between government and union.This thesis sets the second world war as the background,sets war's progress as the clue,and sets the importance of union which is in production and manpower as the starting point of making union policy.It analyzes horizontally the interaction between government and union,the difference of opinions between Conservative Party,Labour Party and trade union,and compares longitudinally the inheritance and changes before and after the war,according to the union policy of British Coalition Government during World War II.Combining with historical evidences,it discusses specifically the relationship and interaction between government and union prewar,the formulation and implementation of policy during the war,the summary of characteristics according to the theories of ideology and some other evaluation,such as the impact on the World War,Labour Party,Conservative Party and Trade Union.This thesis consists of six parts that preface,four chapters and epilogue.The preface mainly discusses the reason and significance of writing this thesis and research summary domestic and overseas.The fist chapter mainly introduces the interaction between government and union before the second world war.The major feature is cooperation between British government and trade union in 1930 s.However,during the mainstream of cooperation,there is some disturbance bought by the?Trade Disputes and Trade Union Act ?of 1927 and the change of attitude from Conservative Party;there are some measures of unemployment benefits,and legislative battles within the British system under the economic crisis;there are some debates and mutual fits between government,union and employers,under free collective bargaining mechanism which has existed in history and continue to play an important role during the second world war;there is threat from fascism and during defending it,the role of trade union is prominence.The war also became an important driving force for British government to quickly seek cooperation with union.The second chapter mainly discusses that how do union policy bring forward and implement during the war.Focus on interpreting the process of setting the policy and the interaction between government and union.Including:1)The establishment of cooperative framework.Including: establishment of Joint Advisory Committee and Labour Party joining in the cabinet etc.They provide a platform for cooperation between government and union during war;2)Labor mobilization policy.Including:Bevin joining in the cabinet;introduction of Emergency Powers Act,Restriction on Engagement Order,Essential Works Order;implement of Scheduleof Reserved Occupations,dilution and training policy and so on.They indicate that the consideration of government to unions factor and union's power is restricted;3)Wage policy and employment problems.Including:Order1305,National Arbitration Court,full employment policy.During these policies,the union's attitude is critical during them.Under the premise of collective bargaining,Self-restriction of union is visible;4)Negotiation mechanism between government and trade union,under the industrial control.Including:Joint Industrial Council,Joint Production Committee and Advisory Board,etc.They provide a good platform to consult fully for government union and employer.In the meantime,some controversy about the modification of?Trade Disputes and Trade Union Act?(1927)reflects the principle of negotiations between government and union;4)Welfare policy.Its direct intention is to pacify union,and its deep consideration is about some ideas of post-war reconstruction from British Conservative and Labour Party.Including:Beveridge Report,?National Health Service White Paper ?,the abolition of Household Means Test,the introduction of?Family Allowances Act?(1945)which went through 20 years of controversy.They fully reflect respective consideration from the Labour Party,the Conservative Party and trade union.The third chapter largely generalizes the features of union policy in wartime.With the main consideration of War and theory ideology and contacting the content of union policies,it can be summarized:Compromise and cooperation under the war;the coexistence of coordination and independence of trade union;the parallel of voluntarism and state intervention;the differences from domestic factions and policy of fuzziness.So as to strengthen the comprehensive understanding of the union policy in wartime.The fourth chapter largely evaluates Trade Union policy of Coalition Government,from four perspectives of war,Labour Party,Conservative Party and trade union.Combining with the union policy during the war,comparing some relevant policy after the war from Labor and Conservative Party and pointing that it not only promotes the victory of world war II and the Labour Party to came to power,influences the union policy of Attlee Labor government,but also indirectly causes Churchill's downfall and the attitude of Conservative Party to change positively to trade union.To some extent it also improves the position of union and weakens the politic power of union.So as to highlight the importance of union policy and deepen the understanding.Epilogue summarize the general conditions of union policy.Pointing the cooperation and conflict between government and union before the war,and that according to the evolution of the war,government introduced series of trade union policy in wartime.Meanwhile,emphasizing the important role of theory ideology to union policy,and the influence of trade union policy for government to gain favor of trade union and win the war,for Labour Party to be elected in 1945 and reconstruct in postwar,for union to promote social status,for Conservative Party to change positively in attitude to trade union,think the lose an election in 1945.In the same time,it also exposes some drawback of trade union in structure and internal management etc.So,it provides important enlightenment to understand the government's policy to trade union in World War ?.