Scabs and Traitors ─ Taboo, Violence and Punishment in Labour Disputes in Britain 1760-1871

The taboos and punishment practices of organized labour in the 18th Century and 19th Century are the main focus of study for this book. The punishment practices in question refer to the sanctions directed at those deemed to have engaged in acts contrary to the interests of the trade and customary codes of behaviour in the context of strikes or ‘turn-outs’ and other instances of friction in the workplace during a period when Britain was undergoing rapid and unsettling industrial change. The study departs from earlier interpretations by contending that the punishment practices of the labouring classes during this particular phase of working class organisation and activism were not the impulsive, immature and irrational acts of desperate men unable to progress to the next, more rational stage of trade union consciousness. Rather, this book sees these punishment practices as exhibiting a high degree of organisation and maturity rooted as they were in a framework of ritual concerning community. This book therefore treats these punishment practices as complex rituals through which wider issues and concerns within the community were expressed and resolved. The book will appeal to those with an interest in trade unions, labour history, working class history and the radical political tradition.