The Women of Red Clydeside the Women of Red Clydeside
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THE WOMEN OF RED CLYDESIDE THE WOMEN OF RED CLYDESIDE: WOMEN MUNITIONS WORKERS IN THE WEST OF SCOTLAND DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR By MYRA BAILLIE, B.A., M.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School ofGraduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment ofthe Requirements for the Degree Doctor ofPhilosophy McMaster University © Copyright by Myra Baillie, September 2002 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (2002) McMaster University (History) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: The Women ofRed Clydeside: Women Munitions Workers in the West ofScotland during the First World War. AUTHOR: Myra Baillie, B.A., M.A. (McMaster University) SUPERVISOR: Professor R.A. Rempel NUMBER OF PAGES: x,320 11 ABSTRACT During World War One, the Clydeside region became one ofthe most important centres ofwar production in Britain. It also had one ofthe most volatile male workforces, earning it the reputation 'Red' Clydeside. Previous historical accounts have focussed on the skilled workers, debating the extent to which they were red-hot revolutionaries or narrow craft conservatives. To date, there has been no study ofthe region's large, capable, hard-working female workforce. This thesis traces the experience ofthe tens ofthousands ofwomen employed in the Clydeside munitions industry, paying particular attention to the working conditions in local factories. This thesis contributes to the long-standing historiographical arguments over the nature ofRed Clydeside by offering a new view ofthe dilution crisis which stands 11t the epicentre ofthe debate. It finds more cooperation between male and female munitions workers than has previously been recognized, and suggests that class confrontation, not craft conservatism, was at the root ofthe deportation ofthe shop steward leaders in March 1916. Although women did not participate in industrial disputes to the extent ofthe male workforce, they nevertheless contributed to the industrial unrest on the Clyde by joining trade unions and engaging in spontaneous strike activity. In addition, the significant presence ofmiddle class women in positions ofauthority within the factories generated class hostility, turning munitions factories into breeding grounds ofclass tension. This study offers a further contribution to the historical knowledge ofwomen workers in the First World War by conducting a searching investigation into the oppressive working III conditions in munitions factories and their impact on the health ofthe female workforce. It disputes the view that munitions women were healthy, robust creatures, arguing that working conditions were particularly harsh in Clydeside factories, with women working longer hours and undertaking heavier work than women in other industrial areas ofBritain. In addition, the much lauded new welfare measures in the factories had little impact in mitigating the debilitating effects ofmunitions work on women's health. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A long list ofpeople deserves special mention for their help in researching and writing this thesis. I am most grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Richard Rempel, for his academic guidance, unfailing encouragement, and perseverance with this project during the first years ofhis retirement. I have been privileged to have two first-rate labour historians, Dr. Ruth Frager and Dr. Wayne Thorpe, on my supervisory committee and I thank them both for their interest and thought-provoking suggestions. Dr. Stephen Heathom is a recent and most welcome addition to my committee, and I am grateful for his enthusiasm and good advice. I would like to acknowledge the valuable assistance I received in the many archives, libraries and museums I visited in Scotland and England. I would like to give special mention to Carole McCallum, archivist at Glasgow Caledonian University, and to Audrey Canning, librarian ofthe William Gallacher Memorial Library at Glasgow Caledonian University, for her interest in my work and our lunchtime chats. In addition, I cannot forget to acknowledge Mills Memorial Library at McMaster University for its excellent collection ofBritish material, and special thanks to the ladies in Inter-Library Loan, especially Val Thomas and Helen Creedon. I have received very generous financial assistance which allowed me to travel to Scotland and England in search ofmaterial. I am grateful to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council ofCanada for granting me a doctoral fellowship, and to the School ofGraduate Studies at McMaster for providing travel scholarships. I would also like to acknowledge the support of my fellow graduate students and friends in the History Department, especially Anne Clendinning, Bonnie Sallans, Darren Ferry, Dave Leeson, Rita Maxwell, and Wendy Benedetti. v I would also like to acknowledge my family. I thank my mother, Jenny Bonnar, and my sister, Anne Lee, for providing warm company and hot dinners during the many months oftravel between Ayr and Glasgow. I thank my children, Andrew, Claire, and Jane for their love, good humour, and the great laughs at our Sunday family dinners. My deepest debt ofgratitude goes to my husband, Frank Baillie, who believed in my ability to complete this work, and has provided daily support and encouragement throughout the long haul. Finally, this thesis is dedicated to the memories ofthree people: my father, Alec Bonnar, my grandmother, Jessie Cooper, and to my grandfather, Jimmy Cooper ofKirkintilloch, who read Forward and sang 'The Red Flag.' VI TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Chapter 1 'I will be an engineer before long': 17 Women Munitions Workers in Clydeside Factories Chapter 2 Middle Class Women in Munitions Factories 65 and Class Relations Chapter 3 Dilution, Trade Unions, and Gender Relations 111 Chapter 4 The Mystery ofthe 'Disappearing Woman': 173 The Health ofWomen Munitions Workers Chapter 5 Welfare Measures in Munitions Factories 225 and Winter's 'Paradox ofthe Great War' Conclusion The Post War Position 276 Bibliography 308 vii ABBREVIATIONS IN TEXT ASE Amalgamated Society ofEngineers BWTA British Women's Temperance Association CWC Clyde Workers' Committee EEF Engineering Employers' Federation GUWW Glasgow Union ofWomen Workers (philanthropic body) HMWC Health ofMunition Workers Committee IFRB Industrial Fatigue Research Board MOH Medical Officer ofHealth MRC Medical Research Committee NFWW National Federation ofWomen Workers (trade union) NUWW National Union ofWomen Workers (philanthropic body) SSFA Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association STUC Scottish Trades Union Congress WSPU Women's Social and Political Union WU Workers' Union Vlll ABBREVIATIONS IN NOTES ASEMJR The ASEMonthly Journal and Report CAB Cabinet Papers GCA Glasgow City Archives GCUA Glasgow Caledonian University Archives GGHBA Greater Glasgow Health Board Archives GML Glasgow Mitchell Library GTCM Glasgow Trades Council Minute Book GUABRC Glasgow University Archives and Business Records Centre GWSCDS Glasgow and the West ofScotland College ofDomestic Science HCDeb. Parliamentary Debates, House ofCommons IWM Imperial War Museum LGB(Sc) Local Government Board for Scotland MOH Medical Officer ofHealth MRC Medical Research Committee MRC,SRS Medical Research Committee, Special Report Series OHMM Official History ofthe Ministry ofMunitions OHSFF Official History ofthe Scottish Filling Factory, Georgetown PRO Public Record Office RTCM Minute Book ofthe Royal Technical College, Glasgow SBU Scottish Brassmoulders' Union SRO Scottish Record Office STUC Scottish Trades Union Congress ix SUA Strathclyde University Archives WCCWI War Cabinet Committee on Women in Industry x Introduction In the first place, the issue ofthe war is dependent on a sufficiency of munitions. Secondly, the duration ofthe war is dependent on the rate ofsupply of such munitions. Thirdly, the industrial and economic future ofthe Empire is dependent on the duration ofthe war. Fourthly, the rate ofsupply ofmunitions, which is the governing factor for the issue and the duration ofthe war and for the future well being ofthe Empire, is dependent on the efficiency and co-operation ofall skilled labour and the successful initiation and use ofunskilled and female labour. 1 Thus wrote William Weir, Scotland's Director ofMunitions during the First World War, while preparing his notes to present to Lloyd George during his visit to Glasgow in late December 1915. Weir's comments underlined the great importance that he placed on the successful introduction offemale labour in the rapidly expanding munitions industry: not only the successful prosecution ofthe war, but the fate ofthe very Empire depended, in a large part, on the work of women munitions workers. In mid-May 1915, the shortage ofshells on the Western Front had hit the headlines of British newspapers, causing public outrage at the thought ofBritish soldiers wounded and dying because ofan insufficiency ofarmaments. The 'Shell Scandal' was a key element in the collapse ofthe Asquith Liberal government, the last Liberal government to hold power in Britain. It heralded the formation ofthe First Coalition Government under the leadership ofAsquith in late May 1915, and the creation ofthe Ministry ofMunitions under the control ofLloyd George as Minister ofMunitions in June 1915. Lloyd George managed the Ministry with great effectiveness, overseeing the creation ofa massive new industry which churned out millions of I Glasgow University Archives and Business Records Centre [GUABRC], DC 96/17/58, Notes written by WilIiam Weir, and given to Lloyd George on his visit to Glasgow on Christmas Day 1915. 2 tons ofartillery and shells to supply not only the