In
1799 and 1780 William Pitt, the Prime Minister,
decided to take action against political agitation among industrial
workers. Combination Laws was passed making it illegal for workers
to join together to press their employers for shorter hours or may
pay. As a result trade unions were thus effectively made illegal.
The campaign against the Combination Acts was led by the trade union
leader, Francis Place. In the House
of Commons, Joseph Hume and Sir
Francis Burdett led the fight against this legislation. The Combination
Laws remained in force until they were revealled in 1824. This was
followed by an outbreak of strikes and as a result the 1825
Combination Act was passed which again imposed limitations on
the right to strike.
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