The growth of trade unions under British colonialism : a comparative study

Abstract

Britain brought to its colonies a set of Western attitudes toward the appropriate role and status of trade unions. On September 17, 1930, Lord Passfield (formerly Sidney Webb), Secretary of State for the Colonies issued a directive, urging all colonial governments to take appropriate measures to encourage the exist- ence of trade unions. Lord Passfield said: "I regard the formation of such associations in the Colonial Dependencies as a natural and legitimate consequence of social and industrial progress, but I recognize that there is a danger that, without sympathetic supervision and guidance, organizations of labourers without experience of combination for any social or economic progress, may fall under the domination of disaffected persons, by which their activities may be diverted to improper and mischievous ends. I accordingly feel that it is the duty of Colonial Governments to take such steps as may be possible to smooth the passage of such organizations, as they emerge, into constitutional channels. As a step in this direction it is, in my opinion, desirable that legislation on the lines of Section 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act 1871 should be enacted in all Dependencies, where it does not already exist, declaring that trade unions are not criminal, or unlawful for civil purposes, and also providing for the compulsory registration of trade unions". This directive was to remain standard British policy towards trade unions in the colonies and provided the "raison d'etre" which became known as the "British Model".