#BeyondTheTracks200 blog

Throughout their history, railway unions have had a big impact on life for all UK workers – a legacy that lives on today.

Worker unionisation in Great Britain pre-dated the railways by more than 100 years. The first unions emerged spontaneously as small, local groups of organised workers in industries from woodworking to coal-mining to shoe-making to shipping. These groups gave workers a voice, helping them rally against the often harsh working conditions of the industrial era.

The rail industry was no different.

As the rail industry grew throughout the 19^th century, so did the demand for rail workers. But life on the railway was dangerous, and many workers were subject to poor working conditions, a lack of safety regulations, and insufficient compensation for injury and illness.

To address this, the workers came together to form unions. In the early days, these were local societies, formed based on job roles and location. But due to their small size and limited reach, these early actions often failed, and so in 1871 the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (ASRS) was founded with the support of Liberal MP Michael Thomas Bass, offering national representation to rail workers.

These unions of railway workers would go on to not only represent the interests and improve the working lives of people on the railway, but also workers across Great Britain.

Hard-won workers’ rights

In 1900, the ASRS union went on strike for higher wages and union recognition.

Although the company hired replacement staff, the striking workers implemented a sabotage campaign against their employer, greasing rails and uncoupling carriages. After 11 days, the Taff Valley Rail Company met with the union to resolve the dispute, which achieved very little for the workers beyond guaranteeing reemployment for the strikers.

But after the dispute was resolved, the company then decided to sue the union for damages and won. Previously, unions had been protected from liability for damages caused by their members while striking, because they were neither a corporation nor an individual. But the 1901 Taff Vale Judgment ruled that this would no longer be the case, and resulted in a £23,000 for the ASRS.

This was a big blow for trade unions across all British industries, and ultimately the judgment was seen as an attack on workers’ right to strike, leading to increased demand for political representation for the working classes. As a result, in 1906 the Trade Disputes Act was passed, reversing the Taff Vale Judgment and reinstating legal immunity for trade unions against claims for damages as a result of industrial action.

This was one of the most significant pieces of legislation in the 20^th century, codifying workers’ right to strike across all UK industries.

Trade unions today

Today, unions continue to play an important role in the UK’s rail industry, representing the interests of tens of thousands of railway workers.