The London Tailors' Strike of 1834 and the Collapse of the Grand National Consolidated Trades' Union: A Police Spy's Report

Abstract

The Grand National Consolidated Trades' Union of 1834 marked an important turning-point in British labour history. It was the culmination of five years' activity on behalf of general unionism, and its failure dealt a decisive blow to the goal of labour unity. It was based on the London trades, and especially the tailors, who went out on strike in April 1834.* The failure of their strike led to the withdrawal of the tailors and later of the cordwainers from the Consolidated Union, and inevitably to its collapse. The importance of the tailors' strike is clear, but evidence about it is scarce. One of the chief sources is a series of reports made by a hitherto unknown police informer, from which we give a selection.