Insights on Social Progress

Croll Thoughts offers in-depth analysis of social development trends and challenges. Based in Cambridge, we provide thoughtful perspectives to inspire positive change. Explore our insights and join the conversation on shaping a better society. I will begin with the development of our present system of welfare and an NHS. Before ww2 these institutions never existed and thousands of poor working people died of injuries and viruses that we today accept as easily cured. It also cost money if anyone wanted to get a doctors aid and pay for medicine. Workers were expected to work 12-16 hrs in often dangerous conditions with many killed doing dangerous jobs with little pay. Employers had the power to exploit the workforce for maximum profit. The luxury that business owners and land owners lived was a world away from the workers who often lived in cramped cold conditions. Remember that it was the workers that made the money for the employers and their luxurious belongings. An intelligent worker realized that without a docile workforce they would lose status. So he started gatherings informing workers of the power they had if they just came together as a group and refused to work unless they were treated better. This successful leader that helped create the first workers unions was Ramsay MacDonald who eventually became leader of the new labour party. The first legal party that fought for better conditions for the workers. Eventually workers realized they had power to increase their living conditions but not until the first strikers were shot down by one factory owner creating outrage that ironically helped the membership of the unions and making killing striking workers illegal. However this was a slow process by Labour,unions and workers to get fair pay. This ends part 1.