The Combination Acts had been imposed in 1799 to prevent working men combining together to respresent their economic interests to employers. The government of William Pitt had taken the opportunity created by the French wars, and the every real inspiration of events in revolutionary France, to prevent any kind of collective action by the poor, who found the cost of food rising sharply because trade with the continent was restricted during the war. Once the wars were over, working men began to take action to regain their freedoms, and the government decided to repeal the Combination Acts. The repeal led to the formation of many unions, and eventually to the attempt to found the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union in 1833.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Combination Acts repealed - Trades Unions permitted". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 February 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4605, accessed 19 April 2024.]
