May 1877 – “In the house of Lords, the Duke of St. Albans had moved the second reading of a bill which would have restricted the employment of railwaymen to twelve hours in every twenty-four, except where unforeseen circumstances rendered longer employment necessary. The purpose of the bill was to limit only the hours of those engaged in working the traffic, since the main concern of its sponsors was to protect the travelling public from the dangers of accidents arising from the employment of tired railwaymen. Even so this modest proposal was strenuously opposed by other peers… On account of this opposition the bill was withdrawn and no further attempt was made to limit working hours of railwaymen for over a decade.” (Bagwell, 153)

May 1877 – “In the house of Lords, the Duke of St. Albans had moved the second reading of a bill which would have restricted the employment of railwaymen to twelve hours in every twenty-four, except where unforeseen circumstances rendered longer employment necessary. The purpose of the bill was to limit only the hours of those engaged in working the traffic, since the main concern of its sponsors was to protect the travelling public from the dangers of accidents arising from the employment of tired railwaymen. Even so this modest proposal was strenuously opposed by other peers… On account of this opposition the bill was withdrawn and no further attempt was made to limit working hours of railwaymen for over a decade.” (Bagwell, 153)

July 1889 – the ASRS adopts a national programme at its AGM in Hull. It included “ a guaranteed weekly wage, a ten-hour day (except for platelayers, nine hours, and some shunters and signalmen, eight hours) and overtime at time and a quarter and Sunday duty at time and a half rates,” (Bagwell, p.132)

December 1890 to January 1891– Scottish railway strike – concerned mainly with excessive hours. And better working conditions. The shorter working week.

December 1890 to January 1891– Scottish railway strike – concerned mainly with excessive hours. And better working conditions. The shorter working week.

- “undoubtedly the most important outcome of the struggle in Scotland was the house of commons debate on January 23rd on Mr. Channing’s resolution to give the board of trade increased powers to fix maximum hours of labour for some grades of railway labour. In the course of the debate a government spokesman announced the setting up of a select committee of the house of commons to investigate the extent of overwork on the railways and to examine possible remidies. The Scottish railwaymen had performed a valuable service to railwaymen all over the kingdom in focusing the attention of parliament to this long-standing issue. (Bagwell, p.148)

December 1890 to January 1891– Scottish railway strike – concerned mainly with excessive hours. And better working conditions. The shorter working week.

- “undoubtedly the most important outcome of the struggle in Scotland was the house of commons debate on January 23rd on Mr. Channing’s resolution to give the board of trade increased powers to fix maximum hours of labour for some grades of railway labour. In the course of the debate a government spokesman announced the setting up of a select committee of the house of commons to investigate the extent of overwork on the railways and to examine possible remidies. The Scottish railwaymen had performed a valuable service to railwaymen all over the kingdom in focusing the attention of parliament to this long-standing issue. (Bagwell, p.148)

23 January 1891 - House of Commons debate ends with the following resolution: “That in the opinion of this House the employment of railway servants for excessive hours is a source of danger both to the men themselves and to the travelling public, and that a select committee be appointed to inquire whether, and if so in what way, the houes worked by railway servants should be restricted by legislation.”

December 1890 to January 1891– Scottish railway strike – concerned mainly with excessive hours. And better working conditions. The shorter working week.

- “undoubtedly the most important outcome of the struggle in Scotland was the house of commons debate on January 23rd on Mr. Channing’s resolution to give the board of trade increased powers to fix maximum hours of labour for some grades of railway labour. In the course of the debate a government spokesman announced the setting up of a select committee of the house of commons to investigate the extent of overwork on the railways and to examine possible remidies. The Scottish railwaymen had performed a valuable service to railwaymen all over the kingdom in focusing the attention of parliament to this long-standing issue. (Bagwell, p.148)

23 January 1891 - House of Commons debate ends with the following resolution: “That in the opinion of this House the employment of railway servants for excessive hours is a source of danger both to the men themselves and to the travelling public, and that a select committee be appointed to inquire whether, and if so in what way, the houes worked by railway servants should be restricted by legislation.”

1892 – The conservative defeat in the elections resulted in the formation of a liberal government whose president of the board of trade, Mr. Mundella, was much more sympathetic to the aims of the ASRS than his predecessor had been.