British Trade Unionism To-Day Routledge Library Editions: The Labour Movement Series

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.