Militant Migrants: Clements Kadalie, the ICU and the Mass Movement of Black Workers in Southern Africa

Author Henry Dee introduces his book, Militant Migrants: Clements Kadalie, the ICU and the Mass Movement of Black Workers in Southern Africa, 1896-1951, volume 21 in the Studies in Labour History book series published by the Society for the Study of Labour History with Liverpool University Press. In the 1920s and 1930s, innumerable workers, as well as leading figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Tom … Continue reading Militant Migrants: Clements Kadalie, the ICU and the Mass Movement of Black Workers in Southern Africa

Book launch: Militant Migrants

Join us at the Marx Memorial Library for the launch of Militant Migrants: Clements Kadalie, the ICU and the Mass Movement of Black Workers in Southern Africa, 1896-1951, by Henry Dee. The event takes place at 4pm on Saturday 29 November 2025. The latest book in the Studies in Labour History series published by the Society for the Study of Labour History with Liverpool University … Continue reading Book launch: Militant Migrants

The Labour Party and empire in the 1940s

Jack Taylor reports on his research into 1940s’ attitudes to empire in the Labour Party policy apparatus and among the leading Labour figures of the era. In researching the Labour Party’s post-war imperial policy in the Middle East, I became interested in ideas around British expertise and experience in shaping political institutions. A Society for the Study of Labour History research bursary allowed me to … Continue reading The Labour Party and empire in the 1940s

Édouard Dolléans: First Modern Historian of Chartism?

Author: Kevin MorganThis is the abstract of an article published in Labour History Review (2024), 89, (3). Read more. Though Édouard Dolléans (1877–1954) was described by Malcolm Chase as Chartism’s first modern historian, his writings on the subject have never been translated into English and are largely unfamiliar to current historians of the movement. This paper discusses the two editions of Dolléans’s history of Chartism, published in 1912–13 … Continue reading Édouard Dolléans: First Modern Historian of Chartism?

Not an Industrial Matter: The British Trade Union Movement and Zionism, 1936–1967

Author: John RussellThis is the abstract of an article published in Labour History Review (2024), 89, (2). Read more. 2023 Labour History Review Essay Prize Runner-Up This article examines the British trade union movement’s relationship with Zionism in the period from the Arab Revolt to the Six Day War. It argues that despite an appearance of fraternalism between the British and Zionist labour movements, this relationship was, in … Continue reading Not an Industrial Matter: The British Trade Union Movement and Zionism, 1936–1967

Patriotic Internationalists and Free Immigration: The British Labour Party’s Internationalism in Debates on Immigration Restriction, 1918–1931

Author:  Eunjae ParkThis is the abstract of an article published in Labour History Review (2024), 89, (1), 1-20. Read more. As highlighted in the recent controversies over European immigrants and the refugee ‘crisis’ that culminated in Brexit, Labour’s struggle in balancing its internationalist principles with policy administration has been a constant theme in the party’s immigration and refugee policy. This article situates the Labour Party’s discussion on the 1919 … Continue reading Patriotic Internationalists and Free Immigration: The British Labour Party’s Internationalism in Debates on Immigration Restriction, 1918–1931

2023 Labour History Review Essay Prize Winner

Author: Manuel Herrera CrespoThis is the abstract of an article published in Labour History Review (2023), 88, (3), 47-72. Read more. ‘Porque no ha cambiado nada’: The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the End of the Cold War The relatively new bundle of scholarship gathered under the notion of a ‘global 1989’ has produced an innovative field of research that highlights the necessity of a global … Continue reading 2023 Labour History Review Essay Prize Winner

Alex Doyle (Leeds) on the Cuban labour movement’s opposition to colonialism and imperialism, 1898-1914

Having spent a long time studying Cuba from afar, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to visit and experience the country beyond the written word. My research looks at workers’ movements and imperialism in early twentieth century Cuba. With the help of funding from the Society for the Study of Labour History, I was able to visit the country to consult new archival material, … Continue reading Alex Doyle (Leeds) on the Cuban labour movement’s opposition to colonialism and imperialism, 1898-1914

Maya Adereth (LSE) on trade unions and friendly society benefits in the UK and US at the turn of the 20th century

My PhD thesis asks: when do trade unions come to support universal welfare policies? It pursues the question through a comparison of the British and American labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century. Thanks to the funding from the Society for the Study of Labour History, I was able to make two archival visits which hugely advanced my research. The first was to … Continue reading Maya Adereth (LSE) on trade unions and friendly society benefits in the UK and US at the turn of the 20th century

Commemorating Robert Rumble and the tenants’ strike of 1938

Liz Millman reports on an event to mark a significant event in the history of Jamaica. On 23 April 1938, the Poor Man’s Improvement and Land Settlement Association set up by activist Robert Rumble sent a petition to the Governor of Jamaica demanding a minimum wage for agricultural workers and peasants, and an end to exploitation by landlords. The petition stated that a century after … Continue reading Commemorating Robert Rumble and the tenants’ strike of 1938