The Rise and Fall of the Healthy Factory

The politics and politicisation of disability

“…103 In addition, the TUC drew on expertise to make its case for improvements to industrial and occupational welfare: Sir Thomas Legge was appointed Medical Officer in 1930 and transformed the TUC's approach to occupational health and welfare issues, including workmen's compensation legislation. 104 At the same time, the economic depression meant that, on the one hand, there was little appetite among resistant employers for statutory interventions and, on the other hand, the labour movement's ability to press for such governmental action was circumscribed. 105 These various political efforts constituted a technocratic approach to disability, since they largely dealt with the finer points of employers' liability and, more importantly, workmen's compensation, in addition to scientific and medical research into miners' pulmonary disease and nystagmus, with discussions between experts employed or engaged by the TUC and the permanent officials and medical experts of the government.…”

“…104 At the same time, the economic depression meant that, on the one hand, there was little appetite among resistant employers for statutory interventions and, on the other hand, the labour movement's ability to press for such governmental action was circumscribed. 105 These various political efforts constituted a technocratic approach to disability, since they largely dealt with the finer points of employers' liability and, more importantly, workmen's compensation, in addition to scientific and medical research into miners' pulmonary disease and nystagmus, with discussions between experts employed or engaged by the TUC and the permanent officials and medical experts of the government. 106 While industrial strategies were waged by the miners' trade unions to support individual miners or particular groups of disabled men, political efforts were, inevitably, undertaken in a different sphere and with different methods.…”

“…105 These various political efforts constituted a technocratic approach to disability, since they largely dealt with the finer points of employers' liability and, more importantly, workmen's compensation, in addition to scientific and medical research into miners' pulmonary disease and nystagmus, with discussions between experts employed or engaged by the TUC and the permanent officials and medical experts of the government. 106 While industrial strategies were waged by the miners' trade unions to support individual miners or particular groups of disabled men, political efforts were, inevitably, undertaken in a different sphere and with different methods. As Bufton and Melling argue, miners' unions devoted more time and effort to fighting the cases of individual miners rather than 'engaging in a generalized public campaign in favour of comprehensive legislation' .…”

“…107 Instead, technical expertise was procured by the miners' movement and utilised in the lobbying of and representation to political leaders and government experts. 108 This is most clear in the numerous activities relating to legislation -resolutions on the system of workmen's compensation might have been passed by miners' meetings, in all coalfields and on a regular basis, but such resolutions fed into MFGB, TUC, STUC and Labour Party efforts in Westminster, whether this be through the introduction of legislation or through efforts to shape legislation as it was being passed by other political parties. Huge amounts of effort and resources went into attempts to influence or amend the Employers' Liability Act of 1880 and the workmen's compensation legislation passed in 1897 and amended in the decades that followed.…”

Cantines d'entreprise et discours hygiénistes dans l'industrie britannique de l'entre-deux-guerres

“…The Association of Lead Manufacturers, which campaigned to prevent the ratification of the 1919 Convention, had subscribed £20 to the Society with an additional £1 for every lecture given to workers on the subject of lead poisoning. Legge understandably concluded that the Association was funding the Society to protect the status quo 79 .…”