The General Strike Flashcards
How many workers went on strike?
More than 2.5million from many different industries
How long did the strike last?
Nine days
Why did the strike end?
The TUC called it off without gaining any concessions
What were the main causes of the strike?
- long-term tension in mining
- a post war industrial slump
- dispute over the Samuel Commision’s report
- other unions in the TIA agreed to strike with the miners
Why were tensions high in the mining industry?
Increasing overseas competition meant that mine owners tried to maintain profit by cutting wages and increasing hours
What did the Samuel Commission’s Report suggest?
In March 1926, the government’s Samuel Commission suggested cutting wages, but not increasing hours. Both miners and mine owners refused this compromise. Mine owners began drawing up plans to increase hours and cut pay.
What did the Government do in response to the threat of a strike?
The governments have a nine month subsidy to the private owners to prevent wage cuts
In April 1925 what did the employers say?
That after the subsidy ended they would cut wages by 10% and increase hours from 7 to 8 with no extra pay
How were miners treated during the war?
They were paid well, kept safe and given a high status as essential workers in the war effort
What role did communism play in the strike?
There was a communist revolution in Russia in 1917. The conservative government and non-working classes feared British workers gaining similar power
How did the government use the media to their advantage?
They had almost total control of the media so the public only heard what the government wanted them to hear
Why couldn’t the TUC use media to promote their campaign?
TUC leaders weren’t allowed to speak on the radio and had limited space in newspapers as the government controlled newsprint
Why did the organisation of the strike mean that the TUC fail?
They didn’t plan the strike very well. It was more luck that the strike was well supported.
How did the government use the police to intimidate the strikers?
Their presence will have been frightening to the public as the army was often there also
What did the events of ‘Red Friday’ allow the government to do?
Stockpile resources and set up the OMS (organisation for maintainence of supplies) to train volunteers to replace striking workers
