Failure of Genreal Strike Flashcards
When was the genral strike called ?
4 th May 1926
Who called the general strike ?
TUC -Trade Union council
How many men and women went on strike ?
Some 2.5 million
(1 mill miners+ 1.5 mil workers)
How long did the general strike last ?
Only 9 days
Who took charge of the distribution of food and maintenance of health services ?
Ernest Bevin and the strike organising commitee
How effective were local strike commitees
Huge variance - historian Keith Laybourn describes the strike as ‘chaotic, even if heroic’
How can the gov response to the strike be described ?
Highly organsied
When did the government mobilise volunteers and how many were mobilised ?
3rd May
300,000
Who was the London underground operated by ?
2000 cambridge undergraduates, whilst another 460 worked on the docks
What was one area which the gov stuggled to maintain ?
The railways
When did the TUC call off the general strike ?
12th May
Whilst law and order was maintained, where were there disturbances ?
Plymouth and London and some violence around a few coalfeilds.
In Glasgow miners clashed with the police
Which Gov newspaper (edited by churchill) , debileratley rose fears that the strike posed a revolutionary threat ?
The British Gazette
What role did the newly formed BBC play ?
Refused to publish content that damaged the governement- by avoding a sympathetic tone to the strikers, it avoided Churchills call for it to be taken over by the government.
What happened to the TUCs paper (the British worker) , during the strike ?
Had to reduce its publication to just four pages when Churchill requisitioned its printing paper
Who did the gov use instead of the armed forces during the strike ?
Gov formed a body of reserve policemen drawn from former soldiers and members of the territorial army.
(limited violence and use of army show gov did not beleive a revolution was likely )
In which areas was there strong response to the strike ?
Cities like Bradford and Leeds , yet also impressive response in more rural areas eg in Torquay (Devon)
Who were the workers that refused to strike labelled as ?
Blacklegs
What is an example of weakness of strikers ?
Lots of workers from power stations went on strike, yet in London many power stations remained in operation.
The legacy of which event made trade unionists pessimistic about victory ?
Black Friday
Who did Arthur Cook of the miners federation (MFGB) blame for the strikes failure ?
James Thomas and TUC for never supporting militancy.
What was the Samuel proposal ?
Herbet Samuel (chair of coal commision ) attempt to settle the dispute.
Samuel proposed that the coal industry be reorganised and miners wages cut for a year.
When was the Samuel proposal rejected and why ?
mines rejected
TUC suggested wage reduction after reorganisation of mining industry but MFGB refused to consider any cuts.
11 th May it was rejected
What did Bevin fail to get Baldwin to promise when they met to annouce the end of the strike ?
That no workers would be victimised for striking
What did many employers do after the failure of the general strike ?
Made union membership a barrier to employment
In Glasgow 368 of 5000 tramway workers were suspended, many workers struggled to get their old jobs back, while wages were often cut.
When did the government pass the trade disputes act and what did it do?
1927- it was made illegal for strikes to exert influence upon the government.
How had the country been divided in order to maintain essential services
10 districts under civil commisioners who were able to maintain essential services
What did the gov do after black friday ?
Stockpile coal
How much did the unions spend on the strike compared to the government ?
Unions spent 4 million and could afford no more
Gov spent £433 million
Shows gov strengh and that the financial resources of the state were too much
What was the labour parties attitude to the general strike ?
Labour party was divided
But genrally opposed, as its leader Ramsey Mcdonald was aware of how unpopular it could be and was still influenced by the impact of Russia scare in the 1924 election.
What was the attitude of the m/c to the strike ?
Did not support
Thurs 6th May - middle class volunteers get some busses and electricity working
What was the slogan of the miners ?
‘Not a penny off the pay. Not a minute on the day’
