This thesis is a study of anti-communism and its impact on the trade unIon movement in Britain and internationally in the earlyCold War years. It shows how the United States of America (US) and British Governments, with the active collusion of right wing trade union leaders, were able to intervene in labour movement affairs both nationally and internationally in order to promote their political and economic strategies and head off the growing challenge of.the left in alliance with the national liberation movement. It is based mainly on archival research including the study of newly ~pened, or previously inaccessible collections. Its interpretation of other well-trawled archives differs significantly from many academic authorities. The thesis is centred on three case studies which are often inter-related. The first study is of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and the British and US led campaign to split the first ever global trade union organisation. This section ' includes interviews with veteran Soviet tr~de unionists. The second study is of the deportation of Communist trade union leader Albert Fava from his native Gibraltar and shows how the Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Council and the Colonial Office worked together to undermine the movement for workers' rights and national sovereignty. And the final study is of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) whose Communist leadership fought off TUC encouraged efforts to promote disunity and weaken its anti-establishment campaigning. The conclusions draw out the main findings of the research and point to its contemporary relevance. They also identify areas in which further research would be helpful in broadening understandi£'!g of the dangers for working people of practices and ideologies which undermine democratic values and trade union independence.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:486020 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Sibley, Tom |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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