Employers and Craft Unionism - A Program of Action for British Shipbuilding, 1902-5

The impact of trade union restrictions upon industrial performance has been a matter of controversy in Britain for the last hundred years. In the United States, during the opening years of this century, employers acted decisively to rid themselves of union restrictions, and it has been argued that in this same period British employers were presented with an opportunity to act in similar fashion. Taking the case of the British shipbuilding industry, this article examines the extent to which such an opportunity was in fact perceived by employers. To the extent that it was perceived, the article also investigates the reasons for inaction.