# Combination Act 1799 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Combination_Act_1799 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Combination_Act_1799.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combination_Act_1799 > Source revision: 1311591333 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Act of the Parliament of Great Britain Combination Act 1799 Act of Parliament Parliament of Great Britain Long title An Act to prevent Unlawful Combinations of Workmen. Citation 39 Geo. 3. c. 81 Territorial extent Great Britain Dates Royal assent 12 July 1799 Commencement 12 July 1799[a] Repealed 29 July 1800 Other legislation Repealed by Unlawful Combinations of Workmen Act 1800 Relates to Combinations of Workmen Act 1825 Status: Repealed Text of statute as originally enacted Unlawful Combinations of Workmen Act 1800 Act of Parliament Parliament of Great Britain Long title An Act to repeal an Act, passed in the last Session of Parliament, intituled, "An Act to prevent Unlawful Combinations of Workmen"; and to substitute other provisions in lieu thereof. Citation 39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. 106 Territorial extent Great Britain Dates Royal assent 29 July 1800 Commencement 29 July 1800[b] Repealed 21 June 1824 Other legislation Repeals/revokes Combination Act 1799 Amended by Combination of Workmen Act 1824 Repealed by Masters and Workmen Arbitration Act 1824 Relates to Combinations of Workmen Act 1825 Status: Repealed Text of statute as originally enacted The **Combination Act 1799** ([39 Geo. 3](/source/39_Geo._3). c. 81) was an [act](/source/Act_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) of the [Parliament of Great Britain](/source/Parliament_of_Great_Britain). Titled "An Act to prevent Unlawful Combinations of Workmen", prohibited [trade unions](/source/Trade_union) and [collective bargaining](/source/Collective_bargaining) by British workers. The act received royal assent on 12 July 1799. An additional act, the **Combination Act 1800** ([39 & 40 Geo. 3](/source/39_%26_40_Geo._3). c. 106), was passed the following year. ## Background The 1799 and 1800 acts were passed under the government of [William Pitt the Younger](/source/William_Pitt_the_Younger) as a response to [Jacobin](/source/Jacobinism) activity and the fear of then-[Home Secretary](/source/Home_Secretary) the [Duke of Portland](/source/William_Cavendish-Bentinck%2C_3rd_Duke_of_Portland) that workers would strike during a conflict to force the government to accede to their demands. Collectively these acts were known as the **Combination Acts**.[1] Under these laws any combination of two or more masters, or two or more workmen, to lower or raise wages, or to increase or diminish the number of hours of work, or quantity of work to be done, was punishable at [common law](/source/Common_law) as a misdemeanour.[2] ## Significance The legislation drove labour organisations underground. Sympathy for the plight of the workers brought repeal of the acts in 1824. Lobbying by the radical tailor [Francis Place](/source/Francis_Place) played a role in this. However, in response to the series of strikes that followed, the [Combinations of Workmen Act 1825](/source/Combinations_of_Workmen_Act_1825) ([6 Geo. 4](/source/6_Geo._4). c. 129) was passed, which allowed trade unions but severely restricted their activity. ## See also - [UK labour law](/source/UK_labour_law) - [Le Chapelier Law 1791](/source/Le_Chapelier_Law_1791), a similar law in France - *[The Making of the English Working Class](/source/The_Making_of_the_English_Working_Class)* by E. P. Thompson ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Section 1. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Section 1 ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Rodney Mace (1999). *British Trade Union Posters: An Illustrated History*. [Sutton Publishing](/source/Sutton_Publishing). p. 13. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0750921587](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0750921587). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge*. Vol. IV. London: Charles Knight. 1848. p. 791. ## External links - [Partial text of the Combination Act of 1800](https://www.marxists.org/history/england/combination-laws/combination-laws-1800.htm) v t e Legislation of the Parliament of Great Britain Acts by year 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711 1712 1713 1714 1715 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 1724 1725 1726 1727 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1736 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 Acts by parliament and session 1 (1) 2 (1, 2) 3 (1, 2, 3) 4 (1, 2) 5 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) 6 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 7 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 8 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 9 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 10 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 11 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) 12 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 13 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 14 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 15 (1, 2, 3, 4) 16 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 17 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Acts by regnal year Anne 6 Ann. 7 Ann. 8 Ann. 9 Ann. 10 Ann. 12 Ann. 13 Ann. George I 1 Geo. 1. St. 1 1 Geo. 1. St. 2 3 Geo. 1 4 Geo. 1 5 Geo. 1 6 Geo. 1 7 Geo. 1. St. 1 7 Geo. 1. St. 2 8 Geo. 1 9 Geo. 1 10 Geo. 1 11 Geo. 1 12 Geo. 1 13 Geo. 1 George II 1 Geo. 2. St. 1 1 Geo. 2. St. 2 2 Geo. 2 3 Geo. 2 4 Geo. 2 5 Geo. 2 6 Geo. 2 7 Geo. 2 8 Geo. 2 9 Geo. 2 10 Geo. 2 11 Geo. 2 12 Geo. 2 13 Geo. 2 14 Geo. 2 15 Geo. 2 16 Geo. 2 17 Geo. 2 18 Geo. 2 19 Geo. 2 20 Geo. 2 21 Geo. 2 22 Geo. 2 23 Geo. 2 24 Geo. 2 25 Geo. 2 26 Geo. 2 27 Geo. 2 27 & 28 Geo. 2 28 Geo. 2 29 Geo. 2 30 Geo. 2 31 Geo. 2 32 Geo. 2 33 Geo. 2 George III 1 Geo. 3 2 Geo. 3 3 Geo. 3 4 Geo. 3 5 Geo. 3 6 Geo. 3 7 Geo. 3 8 Geo. 3 8 Geo. 3. Sess. 2 9 Geo. 3 10 Geo. 3 11 Geo. 3 12 Geo. 3 13 Geo. 3 14 Geo. 3 15 Geo. 3 16 Geo. 3 17 Geo. 3 18 Geo. 3 19 Geo. 3 20 Geo. 3 21 Geo. 3 22 Geo. 3 23 Geo. 3 24 Geo. 3. Sess. 1 24 Geo. 3. Sess. 2 25 Geo. 3 26 Geo. 3 27 Geo. 3 28 Geo. 3 29 Geo. 3 30 Geo. 3 31 Geo. 3 32 Geo. 3 33 Geo. 3 34 Geo. 3 35 Geo. 3 36 Geo. 3 37 Geo. 3 38 Geo. 3 39 Geo. 3 39 & 40 Geo. 3 41 Geo. 3. (G.B.) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Combination Act 1799](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combination_Act_1799) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combination_Act_1799?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.