FEATURE Olympics
And there’ll be jam for tea
Despite austerity a sense of optimism followed the last two London Olympics. But what’s the future for the 2012 generation of workers?
BY OWEN JONES
There are few alive today who lived through Britain’s last two Olympics. The first was in 1908, just six years before the horrors of the Great War; the second was in 1948, only three years after Nazism was defeated at horrendous human cost. Conditions for working people were very different from those today: indeed, living standards were considerably worse, particularly in 1908.
But there was another striking difference. As the 2012 Olympics approach, the British worker faces the biggest squeeze in living standards since the 1920s, and the welfare state is under one of its most sustained attacks since its foundation. But during the last two Olympics there was a sense, at least, of optimism – that conditions were getting better, and tomorrow would be better than today.
Despite much chatter about the historic weakness of the labour movement, far fewer workers were members of trade unions at the time of the first Olympics. At the turn of the 20th century, just 12.6 per cent of workers were unionised and, although it surged in the following years, it reached just 17.7 per cent by 1911.
Even after the kicking trade unions have
received over the last 30 years, over a quarter of workers remain unionised – though that is far fewer than the peak in 1979, when around half the workforce were trade union members.
But back in 1908 (and in contrast to today), trade unions were advancing towards more rights and influence. There had been an attempt to cripple them with the Taff Vale legal judgement in 1901, making unions financially liable for strikes. But it was defeated, giving renewed confidence to the labour movement.
Indeed, unions were flexing their muscles like never before. Between the 1908 Olympics and the outbreak of World War I, there were 23 major strikes in which more than 500,000 working days were lost – one of the most dramatic periods of labour unrest in British history.
Working people were finding their political voice for the first time. The Liberals and the Tories – both representing the interests of Britain’s economic elite – still dominated politics. But the trade unions and various socialist allies had formed the Labour Party to provide parliamentary representation for workers. By the time of the Olympics, Labour –
28 uniteWORKS July/August 2012
under the leadership of Keir Hardie – had 29 members of Parliament.
But, after the Liberal landslide of 1906, the new government introduced social reforms that did improve the conditions of working people. Free school meals were offered for the first time; pensions provided to those over 70 years old; public works expanded to boost employment;
and unemployment
insurance introduced for those out of work. Though things remained very difficult for most, there was a sense that the direction of travel was towards progressive social reform. The contrast with Britain on the eve of the 2012 Olympics could not be more profound.
Attlee A sense of progress was even stronger at the time of the 1948 Olympics. After the sacrifices of World War II, working people had no intention of returning to the conditions of the 1930s. Clement Attlee’s Labour government swept to power with a huge mandate to transform Britain. Despite a massive deficit, the new administration set about building a welfare state.
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