There was indeed much dissatisfaction with the Conciliation Boards by the rail employees and their representatives; the Rail Companies were accused of manipulation of the boards for their own interests.
Some consider it was a great achievement, as almost all the companies refused to recognise the unions, when in 1907 Lloyd George persuaded the companies to recognise elected representatives of the workers who would sit with the company representatives on conciliation boards. Others believed that Lloyd George knew that the system had failed in Australia, and Tom Lowth of the General Railway Workers’ Union (GRWU) said: “It does not look to me like a very satisfactory settlement."
By August 1910 Lord Claud Hamilton (1843-1925), Chairman of the Railway Companies Association and the Great Eastern boasted: “The union of course is not recognised in any way. Not a loophole as far as I can see has been left open for them.” While chairman of the Great Eastern he opposed Trade Unions, he never assented to the recognition, and believed that Unions were responsible for strife amongst the workers. "Railway management," he once said, "is as exciting as war." I wonder what his thoughts were when, in clashes between railway workers and troops at Llanelli, two men were shot dead?
On the 19th it was reported that Birmingham police constables were in action in Liverpool and found themselves hard pressed and had to fight desperately to escape from the crowd who were attacking them....
"A section of Birmingham constables came along at a run, striking right and left with their truncheons, but when they got to the junction of Lime Street and St John's Lane they were brought to a stand by a number of men who had taken off their belts and swinging them with terrific force, challenging the officers to advance. The constables, under their superior officer, Superintendent Boulton, manfully stood their ground for a time, watching for opportunities for striking at the men, but the latter gathering courage from the support they were receiving from other rioters who flocked from all directions and threw stones and other missiles, practically forced the police to retire."