In
1833 a small group of farm labourers in a village in Dorset called
Tolpuddle attempted to form a branch of the Agricultural
Labourers Union. Its six leaders were arrested and charged under the
1797 Unlawful Oaths Act. Found guilty they
were sentenced to seven years' transportation to Australia.
Workers were shocked by the severity of the sentences and it was not
until 1866 that an organised attempt was made to combine when the
Agricultural Labourers Protection Association was formed in Kent.
As labour was scarce at that time, the men were able to get their
wages raised. Similar organizations were formed in Buckinghamshire,
Herefordshire and Hertfordshire.
In March 1872 a meeting was held in Wellsbourne, Warwickshire and
it was decided to unite these different agricultural unions. The delegates
elected Joseph Arch, a farm labourer and
Methodist lay preacher as their leader.
Officially established in May, 1872, within two years the National
Agricultural Labourers' Union had over 86,000 members, over one-tenth
of the farm work force in Britain.
A prolonged strike in 1874 drained the union of funds and membership
had declined to 4,254 by 1889. However, the successful London
Dock Strike inspired the agricultural workers to try again to
develop a strong union. This time they were able to maintain the union's
growth and by 1919 the National Union of Agricultural Workers had
over 100,000 members.
Banner of the National Union of Agricultural Workers
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