Red Clydeside
'Red Clydeside' is the name given to a series of disputes, beginning in 1915, between the government and the workers in factories and engineering works in the Glasgow area.
Workers' strikes and government response
In 1915, parliament passed the Munitions of War Act. This allowed the government to control working hours, staff and wages in industries involved in the war effort. This affected many Glasgow factories. One concern for workers was 'dilution' - where work previously done by skilled workers would be carried out by semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
The Clyde Workers Committee (CWC) was set up to campaign against the Munitions of War Act. In January 1916 there were strikes over the government's plans. The government ordered that the CWC leaders be arrested and deported to Edinburgh, breaking the strength and organisation of the CWC.
The rent strikes also contributed to the tension on Clydeside in 1915. From the workers’ point of view the rent strikes were successful - the government met their demands. The strikers realised that they had power when the munitions factories went on strike in support of the women organising the rent strikes.
The government took a different view as it was concerned about possible disruption to wartime production. Newspapers described the strikers as greedy and selfish, and most public opinion supported the government. Many people believed the strikes were damaging Britain’s chances of winning the war and endangering the lives of soldiers at the front by threatening the supply of munitions.
Radicalism
The Great War radicalised many Scots, especially women. Radicalism means people coming together to take direct personal action to fight against perceived threats to their lives and working conditions. Radical action is defined as action taken to force change that would improve conditions.
Radicalisation of workers in the West of Scotland and elsewhere meant Scots became more politically aware and were prepared to take direct action to improve their living and working conditions. The 1915 ‘rent strikes’ are an example of this.
The rent strikes
As demand for war workers in the industrial areas around Glasgow increased, the demand for housing rocketed – and so did the rents that landlords charged. In February 1915, local women formed the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association to resist rent rises. In May 1915 the first rent strike began and soon about 25,000 tenants in Glasgow had joined it.
The radicalisation of the women inspired male factory workers. They began to strike for wage increases, putting the government under pressure. The answer was the Rent Restriction Act – this froze rent at 1914 levels unless improvements had been made to the property. The strikers’ demands had been met and wartime production was maintained without disruption.
The strikers had learned an important lesson - that direct action could lead to positive results.
