First published in 1939. This book provides a balanced picture of Trade Unionism as it was in the 1930s, both in general and in each of the principal industries and services. The study opens with a brief outline of Trade Union history, before examining Trade Unions in various industries, including mining, transport, and the postal service. British Trade Unionism To-Day will be of great interest to students and scholars of labour and political history.
Preface; Introduction; Part One: Trade Union History;
1. Early Days
2.
The Rise of the Craft Unions
3. The New Unionism
4. The Great Unrest
5. Trade
Unionism in War-time
6. Trade Unionism after the War
7. The General Strike
and After; Part Two: Collective Bargaining and State Action;
1. The Wage
System
2. Systems of Wage-Payment
3. Collective Bargaining
4. The State and
the Wage System
5. The History of Trade Union Law
6. Trade Unions and the Law
Today
7. Trade Boards
8. Hours of Labour
9. The Unemployed
10. The Shop
Stewards Movement; Part Three: Trade Unionism as a Whole;
1. The Trades
Union Congress
2. Trades Councils
3. Trade Union Finance
4. Trade Unions in
Politics
5. Scottish Trade Unions and the Scottish Trades Union Congress
6.
Trade Unionism in Scotland
7. Trade Unionism in Wales
8. Trade Union
Difficulties in New Areas
9. Women in Trade Unions
10. The International
Trade Union Movement; Part Four: Trade Unionism in Particular;
1. Strength
and Weakness
2. The Miners
3. The Miners Unions
4. The Railwaymen
5. Trade
Unionism on the Railways
6. The Transport Workers
7. Transport and Trade
Unionism
8. The Builders
9. Trade Unionism in the Building Industry
10. The
Metal Workers
11. Trade Unionism in the Iron and Steel Industry
12. Engineers
and Shipbuilders
13. Trade Unionism in the Engineering Industry
14. Trade
Unionism in the Printing Industry
15. The Textile Workers
16. The Cotton
operatives
17. The Cotton Trade Unions
18. Trade Unionism in the Woollen and
Worsted Trades
19. Trade Unionism among Garment Workers
20. The Boot and Shoe
Operatives
21. Trade Unionism in the Potteries
22. Trade Unionism in
Agriculture
23. The General Workers
24. The Struggle for Organisation among
Shop Workers
25. Trade Unionism in the Co-operative Movement
26. Organisation
among Non-Manual Workers
27. Civil Service Trade Unionism
28. Trade Unionism
in the Post Office
29. Teachers Organisations
30. Other Groups; Part Five:
Conclusions;
1. An Outline Survey
2. Recent Developments in France and the
United States
3. Two Views of Trade Unionism; Appendices; Index
George Douglas Howard Cole (25 September 1889 - 14 January 1959) was an English political theorist, economist, writer and historian. As a libertarian socialist he was a long-time member of the Fabian Society and an advocate for the co-operative movement.
