INTERNATIONAL LABOUR
OFFICE

Studies and Reports
Series

GENEVA

A

No. 3
October it h 19W.

Annual Meeting
of the Trades Union Congress 1920.

The 52 nd Annual Meeting of the Trades Union Congress,
held at Portsmouth, from 6th to 11 th September, brought
together 950 delegates representing 0,505,482 organised workers.
This represents an increase of nearly a million and a quarter
on the previous year's figure and about two and a half millions
on that of the year before the war. Mr J. H. Thomas, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union
Congress, presided. The troubled industrial outlook, at that
moment crystallised in the threat of a national coal strike,
caused its proceedings to be followed with more than usual
attention.
THE MINERS

The Miners' dispute was naturally the subject of greatest
interest both to the general public and to the Congress itself,
and considerable comment wass caused by the fact that no
reference was made to it either in the report or in the actual
Congress proceedings.
The Chairman said that it had been suggested that it was for
some sinister reason that the miners' question was not being
raised in Congress. The position was this. The miners had
put their case before the Triple Alliance'and it had been
unanimously endorsed. They did not ask Congress or the
Parliamentary Committee to consider the matter, but on the
other hand, they had no objection to stating their case to the
Congress for the benefit of the public. " W e are convinced —
theParliamentary Committee is convinced —, that, so far as the
grave issues involved in this dispute are concerned, it is not for
us to embitter the controversy and render settlement more
difficult, but rather to do all we possibly can, keeping in mind
the justice of the case, keeping in mind that justice must be

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done to the miners, to explore every avenue and use all our
influence to prevent a stoppage if possible. " This was the
reason he concluded, why the question had not appeared
among the proceedings of the Congress.
The advisability of a statement of the miners' case being made
to Congress was referred to the Standing Orders Committee
and on their reporting in favour of such action Frank Hodges
addressed the delegates.
He said that for the past six years the miners had been
pursuing a dual policy of seeking to reduce the cost of living
for the community generally and of trying to make their own
wages keep pace with prices. At present there was a surplus
of £ 92,000,000 of price over cost. The Government maintained
that it should go to the Exchequer. The miners considered it
monstrous that the profits of the industry should be appropriated to Governmental expenditure, especially when the community had no direct control over this expenditure. The miners'
demands could be met and still leave a surplus of £ 8,000,000.
" W e claim '' he concluded "that the community should receive
that benefit which the industry can give, consistent with the
proper forward march of the economic status of the men
engaged in the industry. "
The Chairman proposed the following resolution which was
carried unanimously :
" This Congress, having heard the statement of the miners' case
for a reduction in the price of domestic coal of 14,'2<i- a ton and an
advance of wages of 2/-, 1 - and of 9d- per shift for adults, youths
and boys respectively, is of the opinion that the claims are both
reasonable and just, and should be conceded forthwith."
THE COUNCIL OF ACTION AND RUSSIA

The Council of Action, set up on the 13th August by a special
session of the Trades Union Congress and given extraordinary
powers amounting to the calling of a general strike wras dealt
with fully in the Chairman's opening speech. He admitted it
to be a definite challenge to the Constitution, and as such
dangerous and requiring explanation. " I feel satisfied," he
said, " t h a t I speak for the whole of the movement when I say
that dangerous as was our remedy — and it was dangerous —
it was justified by the result. ...It cannotbe denied that labour
gave organised expression to public opinion and frustrated the
desires of those of our statesmen who would drag this country
at the tail of any foreign imperialist policy, even at the cost of
war. '' The Council's mandate he continued, was to secure
the complete indépendance of Poland and peace with Russia;
that accomplished, it would be content with the result of its
labours.
There was no debate on the subject and the following resolution, submitted by the Chairman, was adopted :
" T h a t this Congress welcomes the formation of the Council ot
Action, and observes with satisfaction the etforts to prevent an

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outbreak of war calculated to involve Great Britain and the continued efforts to make peace between this country and Russia.
It endorses the decision to send delegates to Riga, and calls on the
Government to make all passport facilities to the British Labour
delegation whose presence would be the best guarantee against
any unjust and unwarrantable claim submitted by and on behalf
of either Poland or Russia. "

The report of the Labour Delegation to Russia was made by
A. A. Purcell (Furnishing Trades.) He said that the visit had
been of immense value because it showed what could be done
in the next stage of emancipation of the working classes.
Without committing themselves to the Soviet system of
Government, trade unionists had much to thank the Russians
for in developing a system by which the employer was
eliminated.
A resolution, proposed by Robert Williams, (Transport
Workers' Federation) was adopted, in which the Congress
protested against the refusal of the British Government to
allow a delegation of Russian Trade Unionists to visit Great
Britain in order to investigate conditions, in spite of the fact
that they had been invited to come by the British delegation
to Russia, and had pledged themselves to refrain from propaganda during their visit.
Williams, while expressing no opinion on the Soviet system,
declared that the action of the Government would do more to
spread Soviet ideas here than any visit of Russian inquirers.
Havelock Wilson, opposing the resolution, said that the
procedure was nothing new and that he himself had been
excluded from four or five countries owing to his trade union
activities. He taunted Williams and others with inconsistency
in opposing conscription in England for national defence and
approving conscription for both work and war in Russia.
Robert Smillie retorted that he had always argued that
conscription should be applied to wealth before it was applied
to men, and that this has been done in Russia.
ORGANISATION

(a) The General Council.
At once the most marked and the most significant action
taken by the Congress was the adoption of new plans of
organization. Most important of these internal reforms was
the approval of a scheme for a General Council to replace
the Parliamentary Committee. The special Trades Union
Congress held in" December 1919 had laid down that there
was imperative need of a central coordinating body, representative of the whole Trade Union movement and capable of
dealing efficiently with industrial questions of national
importance. Such a body would replace the Parliamentary
Committee.
The Trades Union Co-ordination Committee which had the
drafting of the scheme proposed the formation of a Council of

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1 _-

¡50 members elected by 17 Trade Groups, later altered to 32
members and IS Groups including two representatives of women trade unionists. These 32 members it proposed to divide
into live sub-committees, which would be responsible for keeping contact with and collecting information from the unions
which they represented. For that purpose full-time officials
woidd he appointed. The work and functions of these committees would nevertheless be subject to the control of the General
Council.
Its objects were to be to keep watch on all industrial movements and where possible co-ordinate industrial action ; promote common action on any general questions that might
arise and assist any union attacked on any vital question of
trade union principle; to use its influence to promote settlement of disputes between Trade Unions ; assist in trade union
organisation ; carry on propaganda ; and enter into relations with Trade Unions and Labour movements in other
countries.
In the ensuing debate two main lines of criticism were distinguishable. The first criticism suggested that the scheme in
some way involved an infringement of the liberty of individual
unions. This objection was met at the outset by prefacing the
plan with the words "Subject to the necessary safeguards to
secure the complete autonomy of the unions and federations
affiliated to Congress. '' The second criticism, expressed very
cogently by .1. IÌ. Clynes (General Workers' Union), wao to the
effect that the new council was merely the Parliamentary
Committee enlarged. Effective representation of all interest was
impossible. They wanted the best men that could be appointed,
regardless of what trades they represented. National action
would still be sacrificed to sectional action and there would be
no real co-ordination. Could they not have a national organisation which would answer the political and industrial purposes
of their movement'.' C. T. Cramp (National Union of Railwaymen) supporting Clynes, feared that the proposed General
Council would develop bureaucratic ways. On a vote the
Congress adopted the general plan by a majority of over three
million.
The detailed execution of the project will, it is
expected, occupy another twelve months, and consequently
the General Council will not be actually set up until 1921.
(b) Relations with ihr Labour Party.
A definite step towards closer alliance with the Labour Party
and a delimitation of functions between the Party and the
Congress was made by the adoption of the following resolution.
'' Thai the method of furthering Congress resolutions by deputations to Ministers is becoming less effective year by year, and
is now almost obsolete. This Congress, therefore, instructs the
Parliamentary Committee to consult the Labour Party Executive
on resolutions requiring political action, and jointly decide on the

— 5' —
methods for furthering them. On resolutions of an industrial
character, the Parliamentary Committee shall consult the unions
concerned and decide on the steps t o b e taken."

Moving the resolution C. T. Cramp said that while they ha
gained in membership and therefore, prestige, they had noi
increased in effectiveness in the same degree. John Hill
(Boilermakers) in seconding the resolution described how
representatives saw the Ministers concerned but were put off
time after time. They wanted to co-operate in ihis respect, to
unify the whole of the movement.
(c)

Trade Boards.

Further evidence of the general keenness of feeling in favour
of co-ordination is to be found in the motion requesting the
Parliamentary Committee to consult with the various unions
of trades covered by Trade Boards with a view to co-ordinating
both work and policy in that respect.
Miss M. Symons (National Federation of Women Workers)
who introduced the resolution said that there were now over
40 Trade Boards covering about 3,000,000 workers. Represen-.
tatives of the employees sometimes pressed for contradictory
policies and it was desirable that experience and information
should be pooled. The resolution was carried unanimously.
(d)

Trade Union

International.

At the instance of Robert Williams the following resolution
was adopted with only three or four dissentient votes :
" That this Congress instructs the new Parliamentary Comittee
to take the necessary steps to determine that the British Trade
Union Movement shall be affiliated to the International Trade
Union Federation only through the Trades Union Congress and its
Parliamentary Committee, and directs the Parliamentary Committee to refrain from co-operating with any sectional body which
can only claim to represent a comparatively small minority, most
oí whom are moreover affiliated to this Congress. "

The General Federation of Trade Unions was established by
the Congress itself in 1899 exclusively for the purpose of
accumulating a central fund for the relief of trade unions
burdened by strike pay, dispute benefit, or other charges
arising out of a trade dispute in which it was engaged, or by
which its members were affected. Throughout its existence
the membership has never been much above 1,000,000.
From its first inception, the General Federation of Trade
Unions affiliated itself to ihe International Trade Union Federation and for some eighteen years it maintained in this way
the only direct collective connection between the British trade
union movement and the internationaltrade union movement.
The direct interest of the Trades Union Congress in international affairs dates from its 1917 meeting. At the last International Trade Union Federation Congress at Amsterdam,

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8-10 April 1920, the Trade Union Congress and the General
Federation of Trade Unions were equally represented and
"W. A. Appleton (General Secretary of the General Federation
of Trades Unions) was chosen President of the international
Trade Union Federation.
The debate resolved itself into a denunciation of a system
by which an organisation with a membership of 1,000,000
purported to represent the British Trade Union movement
abroad and into an attack on Appleton prompted by his
criticism of the policy of the Triple Alliance. The Congress
voted overwhelmingly in favour of the resolution. No change
however, will be made in the British representation for the
meeting of the International Trade Union Federation Congress
to be held in November, or until the next statutory meeting
of the International Trade Union Bureau.
(e) Bartering of Votes.
Early in the proceedings Robert Smillie (Miners) had voiced
a protest against the practice of the bartering of votes for the
election of the Parliamentary Committee, in which he received
the hearty support of the Congress. After the actual declaration of the results of the voting, with his own name sixth on
the list, he startled the Congress by declaring that in spite
of the attention drawn to the practice bartering of votes
had nevertheless taken place. On his motion a Committee of
Inquiry was unanimously appointed and until they report the
old Parliamentary Committee is continuing in office.
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION

Relative lo this subject the Parliamentary Committee says
in the general introduction to its Report :
" T h e Washington gathering was not only unique from the
international standpoint, but without parallel, and, as will be
gathered from the short statement of the Conference's work
appearing in another portion of this report, the results
exceeded anticipations. It was indeed remarkable that, with
representatives of the most backward nations (from an industrial
standpoint) brought into consultation for the first time with
representatives of the most highly developed nations questions
affecting the industrial workers of the world should have been
discussed with such keenness, and with a genuine desire on
the part of the former to bring their countries into line
industrially with the more advanced and better organised
countries. Common agreement was reached on many of the
most essential subjects discussed, and it now remains for the
various Governments to give legislative effect to the recommendations resulting from the Conference.
A general resolution endorsing the Washington Conventions

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was moved by Miss Margaret Bondfield (National Federation
of Women Workers) in the following terms :
" T h a i this Congress, believing that the Draft Conventions
adopted by the International Labour Conference at Washington in
November 1919, constitute a foundation for sound international
legislation, although of opinion that they fall far short of the
necessity of the times, calls upon the Government to give effect
to all the Draft Conventions, and to introduce immediately the
necessary Bills, and to give full facilities for their passage into
law : in particular, it urges the Government to carry out the Convention concerning the employment of women before and after
childbirth by introducing provisions in this Bill providing benefits
for mother and child on a universal and non-contributory basis. "

Miss Bondfield protested vigorously against the action
of the Government in shelving the question of the employment of women before and after childbirth. British
law in this connection, she said, was most unsatisfactory.
The question was not merely an industrial one, but a vital
race-question. The inaction of the Government had aroused
keen resentment. It was a disgrace that this country should
be led away from laying the foundations of international law
in these matters. The Government should adopt not only
Conventions for which it contended but all conventions adopted by majority decisions.
The resolution was seconded formally, and adopted without
further discussion.
Later in the week the following resolution, also moved by
Miss Bondfield, was adopted unanimously :
" That this Congress welcomes the Women, Young Persons and
Children (Employment) Bill in so far as it carries out the provisions of the Washington Conventions, but strongly protests
against Clause 2 of this Bill, enabling women and young persons
to work two shifts beginning at 6 a. m. and ending at 10 p. m.
It draws attention to the prolongation of working hours, to the
pre-breakfast work, and to the increased facilities for evasion
involved ; and condemns the legislation of such a mischievous
and retrograde system of work in a Bill ostensibly introduced to
carry out certain of the Washington Conventions. "

Further to the subject of the International Labour Organisation a letter from M. Albert Thomas (Director of the International Labour Office of the League of Nations) was read.
M. Thomas congratulated the Congress on its wonderful
growth in numbers and influence. He regarded it as essential
that the closest and most cordial relations should be
maintained between it and the International Labour Organisation as there was hardly an item on the Congress agenda in
which the International Labour Office was not directly
interested. On some of these subjects the Washington
Conference had already achieved progress and he thanked
the Congress for recognising this both in their report and
in their resolutions moved. While keenly realising that the
Organisation falls short of the full desires of the organised

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workers he assured them that the same motives inspired both
•movements and that with their aid and allowed a fair chance
the Organisation would do much to uplift the standard of
working life the world over.
HOURS OF LABOUR

(a)

Seamen.

The following resolution was adopted unanimously :
" T h a t the Parliamentary Committee be requested to use all
their influence and to give their support to the inclusion of seamen
in the Hours of Labour Bill for a 48-hour working week now
before Parliament, and to see that seamen have the same conditions
as to hours of labour as the working-men in other industries. "

Mr Mc Vey (Sailors' and Firemen's Union) in moving the resolution referred to the British Governement's opposition to
the Draft Conventions proposed at the International Labour
Conference held at Genoa, when the Convention on Hours of
Labour for Seamen failed to secure the requisite majority by a
fraction of a vote.
(b) Agricultural

Workers.

The Congress also adopted the following resolution proposed
by the Agricultural Workers' Union :
" T h a t this Congress hereby resolves to give their support to
the demand of the agricultural workers to be included in the scope
of the Hours of Employment Bill, and further, protests against the
delay on the part of the Government in giving effect to their
pledge in connection with the matter."
UNEMPLOYMENT

The friction which has arisen between the trade unions on the
one hand and the Government and friendly societies on the
other, in regard to the administration of the Unemployment
Insurance Act (') recently passed was the subject of an inconclusive debate. On 23 March 1920, the Parliamentary Committee of the Congress passed a resolution warning the Government that if friendly societies were allowed to administer the
Unemployment Benefit, the Committee would be compelled
to recommend that the whole trade union movement refuse to
have anything to do with the Act. \ \ h e n the question came
before the Congress, the Chairman declared that the unions
did not intend to abate their claim that the administration of
unemployment benefit was their business. Several delegates
contended that it was useless to refuse to work the Act ; otherwise when it came into operation (November 811') the friendly
(') For text of the British Unemployment Insurance Act, see F o r analysis of Act and steps leading to its enactment see.

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societies would rob them of their members. It was also asserted that, whatever might be said by the Congress, many unions
would decide to work the Act. In spite of this opposition, the
Congress adopted a resolution to the effect that unions should
not recognise the Act.
A composite resolution on Unemployment moved by Tom
Mann (Amalgamated Engineers) in the following terms was
adopted by a large majority :
" Recognising that irregularity of employment and the loss of
wages arising therefrom is the chief cause of social distress, involving low wages and continuous poverty for a large section of the
workers, and believing that, by the proper organisation of industry,
unemployment could be eliminated, this Congress declares that
responsibility for unemployment shall be borne by the industry
and that, in no case, should the level of income fall below 85 per
cent of the wages earned when in full employment.
In order to raise the necessary funds, power should be obtained
to force a levy on the industry; and, further, Congress hereby
instructs the Parliamentary Committee to take such action as may
be deemed necessary to obtain amendments in existing legislation
or to secure the introduction of further legislation towards that
end."

Mann declared that unemployment was due to industry
being conducted for profit, and the cure would be found when
it was conducted for use.
COST OF LIVING

Arthur Greenwood, Secretary of the Joint Committee on the
Cost of Living presented an interim report dealing with the
factors which have disturbed the level of prices as a whole.
He summarised the Committee main findings. The rise in
prices was attributüble to currency expansion rather than to
contraction of production.
Deflation of the currency was
therefore the first step. This would mean a reduction of
perhaps 20 o/o on general prices. A development of productive
capacity, obtainable by the participation of all countries in the
world's trade, improvement of methods and machinery and a
far-reaching re-organisation of industry, was the only way in
which a substantial fall could be safely brought about.
Regarding present exigencies the Report recommended that
index numbers of prices should be superseded by new index
numbers based upon the prices prevailing since the armistice ;
the amount of paper currency should be controlled by legislation ; Government should cease to resort to bank credits to
meet expenditure ; and the floating debt should be wholly or
largely repaid, and the remainder, if any, funded. The banking S3'stem of the country should be publicly controlled.
Government expenditure upon military and naval enterprises
should cease. From the international aspect peace, fixing of
indemnities, rehabilitation of currencies, introduction of a
new parity of exchange where retention of the gold standard

- 1 0 was impracticable, institution of direct bartering where no
other means of trading was possible and a League of Nations
loan to aid impoverished countries were the most urgent
necessities. The Committee expressed its conviction that the
high cost of living is largely due to the defects and weaknesses
of the industrial system,
A Resolution was adopted requiring the Parliamentary
Committee to prepare a policy on the subject, which policy
is to be submitted to the unions and, if approved, adequate
steps taken to put it into force.
HOUSING AND RENTS

C. R. Blake (Bookbinders and Machine Rulers) moved that
the Congress should declare that the housing of the working
classes is not possible under the system of private ownership
of land and dwellings and " instruct the Parliamentary Committee to oppose any increase of rent beyond 10 o/0 of the
standard rent, until the normal supply of houses is available".
C. T. Cramp regarded the proposal as impracticable and likely
to result in slums and unsanitary dwellings. Some people,
he said, were not satisfied that 10 °/o increase on the standard
rent would pay for repairs. Hicks (Building Trades) said that
building workers were as desirous that more houses should
be built as any section of the community. They had offered
to allow overtime to be worked and made other suggestions
without effect. He urged that more men should be taken off
luxury building and building undertaken to reduce excess profits duty and be put on to housing.
Strong opposition was manitestcd against the resolution but on
a card vote a majority of nearly a million declared in its favour.
LEVY ON WAR WEALTH

The following resolution moved by J. R. d y n e s was adopted
unanimously :
" That this Congress condemns the failure to acquire the war
wealth into which special inquiry was made by a responsible Committee; and declares that conditions of national finance, taxation,
and prices require an immediate capital levy.
Congress is of the opinion that the interest on the National Debt
is such an enormous burden on the industry of the country that it
will inflict serious hardship upon the working classes by diminishing the purchasing power of wages, while it will enrich financiers, who will derive large permanent incomes; we therefore
urge the Government to impose a levy upon wealth and capital to
pay off the great w a r debt and relieve labour from the misery
which must be inflicted upon future generations by extracting
from wages the amount demanded in interest on the debt, and
urge the Parliamentary Committee to press forward this demand
upon the Government."

Supporting the resolution Clynes said that labour advocated
the policy of a general levy on capital to solve the financial

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difficulties raised by the war and also the Government appropriation of a large part if not all of that wealth improperi}'
made during the war. To win the war life was not loaned ;
it was taken. To win the peace money should be taken and
not loaned.
EDUCATION

Declaring it to be the most important resolution before
Congress A. \V. Lapp (Shipwrights), moved that the Education
Acts should be amended to provide that every child deserving
and qualifying for secondary education should receive it,
including maintenance. The resolution was supported by
several speakers including "Will Thome M. P. who said the
Government should relieve local authorities by paying for
education wherever the cost rose to more than the one shilling
rate. The resolution was passed unanimously.
MISCELLANEOUS

Among resolutions of less importance the Congress pronounced infaveur of nationalisation of the liquor trade, "unionising"
of all places of amusement, and reinstatement of Belfast tradeunionists expelled from work for religious or political opinions.
It passed resolutions against the political disabilities of Civils
Servants being applied to dockers ; condemned the employment
of Chinese Labour on ships; protested against discrimination
being made between certificated and uncertificated teachers as
regards salary and general conditions ; and declared that
classes run by employers should not be held as the equivalent
of continuation schools under the Education Act. A resolution demanding the release of the Lord Mayor of Cork which
was not voted upon, speeches from fraternal delegates, a debate
on the electricians' strike and lock-out and a charge of
" black-legging" between unions were other incidents exciting
considerable interest.
CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that this Congress will remain famous in
the annals of British Trade Unionism for the internal reforms
effected. The creation of the General Council to keep touch
with and at the same time co-ordinate the whole Trade Union
movement, the resolution favouring co-operation with the
Labour Party in the furthering of Congress resolutions, the
definite stand taken with regard- to the representation of
British Trade Unionism in international meeting and the
resolute action against bartering of votes- are all matters of
first importance.
Even more remarkable is the evidence of a change in spirit
that has come over the Congress, manifested in an increased

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restraint and sobriety of expression. It would seem to be
directly attributable to the increasing consciousness of the
great responsibility which its enormous power entails. The
following extract from the Chairman's address admirably
illustrates this.
" The financial strain the country is to-day bearing, and which
must continue for many years to come, is, although not a popular
subject, of vital consideration to all sections of our people, and
to none more than the working classes. The dependency of our
country upon and from the markets of the world means that a
collapse of our credit would result in starvation, and at a time
when this certain and pregnant fact is inclined to be overlooked,
certainly not receiving the serious consideration it should do,
no apology is needed for reminding a party that rightly aspire
to the government of the nation to keep it in mind. It may be
inconvenient to remind people of the fact, but they would be the
first to condemn any party who blindly moulded its policy
and pursued its course regardless of so dangerous a precipice.
Governments may continue to manufacture paper credits, private
firms cannot meet their obligations in the same easy way. They
may borrow, but the result to both will be the same—ruin. Don't
let us, in our demand for social justice, forget or ignore this fact."

An incident that occured during the proceedings has a similar
significance. In the course of a discussion a delegate interjected
the suggestion of ' a general strike ', whereupon the chairman
turned upon bim with the remark that threats of a general
strike lose their effectiveness ' when people are always talking
about it and don't do it. ' The Congress endorsed the rebuke
with its cheers.
The concluding speech from the chair showed this spirit of
responsibility in stronger relief than ever. Referring to the
impending coal strike, Thomas urged :
" Don't let us during the next few weeks do or say anything
that will render a settlement more difficult. Let us realise that
we are at a stage where every word should be carefully weighed,
every action deliberately thought out, and whilst we are determined to have justice for our own class, we are equally determined
to keep in mind the interests of the whole community. "