Jim Larkin was an activist and trade unionist who was born in 1874. He was brought up in one of the slums in Liverpool, and for that reason, Jim did not experience much of the formal education. For Larkin to supplement the little income of his family, he had to look for some odd jobs during his youthful age.
Due to his dedication and hard work, Jim Larkin was appointed the foreman of one of the Liverpool docks. Since he was a committed activist and socialist, Jim wanted workers at Liverpool docks to be treated fairly. This is one of the reasons he joined NUDL. Learn more about Jim Larkin http://spartacus-educational.com/IRElarkin.htm
In 1905, James Larkin deiced to become a full-time unionist. However, his approaches on strikes did not please NUDL (National Union of Dock Labourers).
Most of his strike methods were sympathetic and involved boycotting of goods from the Liverpool docks.
In 1907, Jim was transferred to Dublin. Still, he did not give up on union activities. While in Dublin, he founded a trade union known as ITGWU (Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union). Jim founded the union with the aim of bringing together all of the Irish workers, both unskilled and skilled.
At some point, Mr. Larkin acted like an activist with no limits. He formed the ILP (Irish Labour Party), which was responsible for numerous strikes that were experienced during the 1913 Dublin Lockout.
During this period, more than 100000 workers were on strike for more than eight months. The strike gave good results because they won the right to fair employment programs.
At the beginning of World War I, Mr. James rallied demonstrations against the war in Dublin. He also sought for funds from the United States of America to fight the United Kingdom. Some of his wars were successful others were not. In 1920, Jim Larkin was convicted of communism and criminal anarchy.
However, he was pardon by the British and deported to his country of origin, Ireland. While in Ireland, James Larkin managed to form the Worker’s Union. In 1924, he was recognized by the Communist International.
In the same year, Jim created a popular trade union known as WUI (Worker’s Union of Ireland). In 1945, he joined Irish Labor Party (ILP) with the aim of helping workers achieved their working benefits. However, death removed him from his real mission in 1947.