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LABOUR HISTORY
Series Two: Minute Books and Papers of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society, 1868-1994

Part 3: General Committee Minutes, January 1931 - July 1970

Parts 2 - 4 provide virtually unbroken coverage of the General Committee Minutes of the RACS from July 1876 through to January 1985 (with small gaps in 1881-1882 and 1902).

These are the central archival source for study of the RACS and are essential for any understanding of the diverse activities of this organisation. They describe its membership and trading activities, its educational role, the development of housing schemes, and its political role. They chart the rise of the RACS from the late 19th century through to the 1970's when it began to experience commercial difficulties.

These minutes provide a useful case study for anyone wishing to study the growth of organised labour. They are a rich source for the Depression years of the 1920's and 30's and for the special strategies adopted to increase production during both World Wars when many Co-op employees had to leave their jobs to serve with the armed forces and the emergency services. The employment of women in these years is well documented, as are the difficulties posed when the wars ended and the RACS had to re-instate troops without being unfair to their loyal war workers. Special consideration was given to the position of single women and married women in these debates.

Many of the themes of the post war years are expressed in a minute dated 7 November 1964 (Volume 116, p51148): "A letter from the Woolwich Labour Party was submitted.... (a) noting with satisfaction the programme of redevelopment and modernisation in which the RACS management is now engaged. (b) congratulating the Co-operative Movement in the recent agreement with Trade Unions on the principle of a five-day week in the distributive trades, and the RACS on the speedy implementation of the five-day week for shop workers. (c) calling on Labour Parties, Trades Councils, Local Authorities and Members of Parliament to support action to change the Shops Acts and local by-laws to make possible the full application of the five-day week to shop workers. (d) urging all members of the Labour Party and Trade Unions to increase their trade with the RACS and to support the Society in every way to enable it to carry out its current programme and successfully combat the growing tendency towrads monopoly organisation in retailing, which was noted." For the RACS was being torn in two directions. Firstly, through the post-war successes of the Labour Party and the increased power of the Unions, towards playing a bigger part in the local community, decreasing working hours and guaranteeing well-paid employment for all their staff. Secondly, through the pressure of increased competition, towards closing small local stores to build larger ones, opening for longer hours and employing less staff on a competitive basis. The subsequent amalgamation of the RACS with the CWS which is well documented in later volumes.

The records provide an important basis for the study of working class life and organisation, Christian/philanthropic/utopian socialism, shopping and welfare.



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