When Were Trade Unions Established?

There has always been a fear of working men gathering together and at the end of the 18th century the ruling classes were concerned especially with the rise in number of production workers with the Industrial Revolution.

From the mid 19th century unions were beginning to be recognised and the government accepted the right of working people to form unions to negotiate with their employers.

These unions grew rapidly and for many trades it also became mandatory to become a member and the closed shop was established.  This meant if you were not prepared to join the union you would be exempt from working at a company or an occupation you were qualified in.

The Trades Union Congress established in 1920 was a body that incorporated all these individual unions into one association.  This lasted until the end of the 20th century when the decline of the unions started due to generally better working conditions.