Political Developments: Strike Action in Callaghans Premiership

Question 1

Due to the 1977 Strikes, what did Callaghan announce later that year?

Answer 1

5% cap on wage increases

Question 2

What was significant about the wage cap that Callaghan introduced?

Answer 2

Labour initially came in trying to improve Trade Union Relations

Question 3

What contract had the Unions fully broken away from by now?

Answer 3

Social contract

Question 4

What is significant about the Unions ending the social contract?

Answer 4

Shows they felt that they did not need to be protected by the government, perhaps indicating they felt superiority over them

Question 5

How many strikes happened from 1976-79? How many days lost?

Answer 5

11,000 strikes happened, and over 50 million working days were lost

Question 6

How can the strikes be seen to have impacted public opinion?

Answer 6

Labour lost many by-elections

Question 7

What is significant about firefighters going on strike?

Answer 7

They are part of the emergency services, which meant no help if there were fires

Question 8

What did Film Processors do when they went on strike?

Answer 8

They engaged in violent riots in North London

Question 9

How did Callaghan secure Labours position in office?

Answer 9

He made a pact with the Liberals and some Nationalist parties

Question 10

What did Lorry drivers striking threaten?

Answer 10

Britians national food supply

Question 11

What pay rise did the Lorry drivers want?

Answer 11

60%

Question 12

How many Ford Motor Plants went on strike in 1979? What pay rise did they want?

Answer 12

23, wanting a pay rise of 20%

Question 13

When did the beginning of immense strike action begin?

Answer 13

1978

Question 14

Which business started the immense strike action? What minimum wage did they want

Answer 14

Ford Car Plant in Merseyside, wanting a minimum wage of £60 a week

Question 15

Which workers went on strike?

Answer 15

Firefighters, Lorry Drivers, Ambulance Drivers, Dustmen, Gravediggers, Childrens Hospital Staff, Ford Car Plant workers, Film Processors, Caretakers, Bus Drivers, Road Gritters

Question 16

How were all of these strikes significant for Labours political strength?

Answer 16

It made Labour look weak as they did not stick to their policies of 5% wage rise cap

Question 17

How did the public originally feel about Trade Unions?

Answer 17

They felt it was a good way to secure affluence and get easy wage increases

Question 18

What strike made the public oppose Trade Unions?

Answer 18

Childrens Hospital Staff strikes

Question 19

What strike action happened on January 22nd 1979?

Answer 19

Over 1.5 million people striked

Question 20

What did a public poll show about if Trade Unions had too much power?

Answer 20

84% said Unions had too much power

Question 21

How many people were in Trade Unions by the late 1970’s?

Answer 21

over 13 million people

Question 22

How many of these people alone were in the TGWU?

Answer 22

Over 2 million

Question 23

What cause was there for the increased strike action?

Answer 23

Callaghans 5% wage rise cap

Question 24

When was the last time a strike as big as the one in January 1979 happened?

Answer 24

1926

Question 25

What was a failure of Callaghans reaction to the strikes?

Answer 25

He seemed relaxed

Question 26

What is an example of Callaghan seeming relaxed about the strikes? Impact?

Answer 26

He said, “Crisis, what crisis?” ending up as a headline in The Sun

Question 27

What was a limitation to Callaghans famous phrase on strikes?

Answer 27

It had been misheard and misinterpreted

Question 28

How did Callaghan end the strikes?

Answer 28

He gave all industries pay rises