General Strike 1926 Flashcards
When was the General Strike?
1926
What party was in government?
Conservative
Who was the PM at the time?
Stanley Baldwin
What caused the General Strike?
Mine owners proposed a decrease in wages and an increase in working hours.
What did the government do to avert conflict, and how much did this cost them?
Subsidised the miner’s wages while the Samuel Commission was carried out. It cost them £3 billion
When were the Miners locked out?
April 30th
How many workers striked?
1.5 million
How many arrests were there?
3000
When was the strike called off?
12 May
How long did the strike last for?
9 days
Who mainly led the government preparations?
Sir James Anderson
How many divisions was the country divided into?
11
How many special constables were recruited?
100,000
What was set up to help recruit volunteers?
Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS)
How many volunteers did the OMS recruit?
85,000
Did the Labour party support the strikers?
No, it found itself in the middle of the working class and the revolutionary threats, choosing to keep a low profile instead.
How long did the miners continue striking for?
6 months
What did they achieve from the strike?
Nothing, the conditions were the same as before
What did Baldwin put in place after the strike ended?
Trades Disputes Act 1927
What was Red Friday?
When the government agreed to subsidise then miners wages while they investigated (Samuel Commission) for 9 months.
When did the General Strike start?
7th May 1926
When did Britain come on the Gold Standard?
1925
Three causes of the strike?
TUC/miners, mine owners, govt
2 consequences of the General Strike?
Miners continued to strike for 6 months - no change
Trades Disputes Act - Trade unions suffered
Who was the first Labour PM?
Ramsay MacDonald
