Red Clydeside: A history of the labour movement in Glasgow 1910-1932

Events

Swindling the nation, 26 June 1915

As this article shows how the issue of industrial opportunism and war-time profiteering by armament manufacturers became a major issue for trade unionists and socialists during the first 12 months of the war.

During this period the government had brokered The Munitions of War Act, an agreement with trade union leaders that translated into workers hard won trade union rights being suspended for the duration of the war.

This agreement caused widespread anger within the grass roots trade union movement because many workers felt it left them open to exploitation by employers and also that because of the lack of a complementary deal in regards to industrial war-time profits, unequal sacrifices were being made for the war effort.