The London Dock Strike was an industrial dispute involving dock workers in the Port of London. It resulted in a victory for the strikers and established trade unionism amongst London dockers. It is usually considered a milestone in the development of the British labour movement, symbolizing the growth of the New Unions of casual, unskilled and poorly-paid workers, in contrast to the craft unions already in existence. The strike helped to draw attention to the problem of poverty in Victorian England and the dockers' cause attracted considerable public sympathy.
Dockers in Victorian London edit
Dock workers were a large and diverse occupational group. The most highly-paid and skilled workers were the stevedores who loaded cargoes onto ships. Dockers proper were the various groups who unloaded vessels, and who often specialised in handling particular cargoes such as tea or timber. Although most dockers sought work regularly at the docks, they were usually employed on a casual basis, for a few hours or a single day. Work tended to take place in spurts, as ships arrived in port or prepared to depart. Large numbers of men would be taken on for short periods of time, as shipowners wished to get their ships in and out of port as quickly as possible. As a result, under-employment was a serious problem. John Lovell notes that even regulars at the busy Victoria and Albert Docks did not average more than four days a week throughout the year, and most London men would have been significantly less well off, (Lovell, p. 32). The possibility of short-term work attracted unemployed and casual workers to the docks, thus worsening the problem of under-employment and helping to keep wages as a low level. A related difficulty was that dockers tended to seek work at docks where they well-known, rather than trying for work elsewhere. Thus there were often labour shortages at some docks whilst dockers went unemployed at others.
workers were not only poorly-paid and low status group of workers. Several factors aggravated their position. Firstly, most dock-work was offered on a casual basis for a period of only a few hours or a single day at a time. Many dockers saw advantages in the casual system, claiming that it allowed them more freedom than regular workers. As a result, attempts at decasualisation frequently met with resistance from dockers themselves. Despite this, the casual system was clearly a factor in the poor conditions experienced by dockers. Workers who were unable to find work elsewhere were often attracted to the docks since it offered the chance of at least some employment, even if only for a short period. Consequently, the labour pool was generally vastly over-stocked, a factor which exerted a downward pressure on wages.
The strike itself edit
The strike and public opinion edit
The strike and New Unionism edit
Prior to the strike, few dockers were organised, but once it began, the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union recruited a substantial section of the London docks workforce. The principal demand of the agitation was for the 'dockers tanner' - a rate of 6d an hour. The strike was noted for large, peaceful processions which impressed middle-class opinion and won sympathy for the strikers' cause from figures such as Cardinal Manning. Notable organisers who came to prominence during the strike include Ben Tillett, John Burns, Tom Mann, Will Thorne and the seamen's leader Havelock Wilson.
The London Dock Strike was preceded by several other developments which marked the emergence of a new mood amongst the unskilled. The strike of match-girls at the Bryant and May match strike, and the successful organisation of Leeds gasworkers by Will Thorne were amongst these omens. The dockers' strike was more dramatic than these disputes however, because of the sheer number of workers involved, the poor reputation that dockers previously enjoyed, and various other aspects of the dispute.
External links edit
The Great Dock Strike at the PortCities project