industrial relations and miner's strikes Flashcards
from the start of Heath’s premiership there were industrial disputes to deal with:
- a docker’s strike
-large pay settlement for dustmen
-postal workers’ strike - ‘go-slow’ by power workers which led to power cuts
in response to the problems in industrial relations, the government brought in?
The Industrial Relations Act
The Industrial Relations Act was very similar to the?
Barbara Castle’s proposals in her white paper, in place of strife
what did Heath also abolish?
the National Board fr prices and incomes
what did the Industrial Relations Act set up?
an industrial relations court + provided for strike ballots + a ‘cooling off period’ before official strikes could begin
the policy did not work as expected. why?
both the trade unions congress (TUC) and the consideration of British Industry (CBI) were opposed to it
major strikes in 1972 by the?
miners, ambulance drivers, firefighters, civils servants, power workers, hospital staff and engine drivers
1972 saw the highest number of strikes since the general strike of 1926 how many?
23,909,000
when did the miners’ strike start?
on 9 january 1972- time of harsh winter weather
the use of flying pickets, particularly the Yorkshire mines led by?
Arthur Scargill virtually stopped the movement of coa; around the coal around the country
by 9 February what did government declare
and what did this do to schools
a state if emergency as schools were closed
-1.2 million workers were laid off
it set up the Wilberforce Committee to examine the miners’ demands and announced a?
three-day week to save electricity
NUM leader, Joe Gormley able to negotiate?
a generous wage settlement
Arthur Scargill
played big part in the successful strikes of 1972 + 1974 as leader of Yorkshire miners
Heath also returned to the policy of trying to manage wage demands with passing of?
The Industry Act of 1972
the industry act 1972
aimed to involve the government , the TUC and the CBI in agreeing wages, prices, investment and benefits
industry act policy was heavily criticised by ?
some on the right of the conservative party such as enoch powell
further industrial disputes with firefighters and power workers nad in November 1973 the oil crisis led to?
another increased wage demand from the minors = which was beyond the limits the government wanted t impose to hold down inflation
What did the miners introduce?
an overtime ban to strengthen their demands
what did Heath hope?
a. compromise could be reached and a strike avoided but also announced a three-day week would be re-introduced from the beginning of 1974
who did Heath move from the Northern Irelan office to be the minister of employment and why?
Willie Whitelaw = as he was considered a skill negotiator
-this failed
the ministers refused to?
accept the pay offer and the government refuse to treat the miners as a special case
when did the NUM call for a national strike?
in janaury 1974
the three-day week was imposed by the Heath government to?
conserve electricity in response to a wave of industrial action by engineers, dockers and firefighters and the looming threat of a national coal strike in the middle of an energy crisis
