'Britain’s Striking History' - Lyndsay Weatherall

'Britain’s Striking History' - Lyndsay Weatherall

When you hear the word ‘labour’ used in the english language, your mind might spring to hard work, exertion and industry, an image of the working-class labourer appearing. Digging deeper into the etymology, the term ‘labour’ evolved from the Latin verb ‘laborare’ meaning ‘to toil;’ an ideal name for a party formed by trade unionists and the working-class intending to represent their voices in a political environment. But more than a century after its creation, can the Labour Party still be defined by its connections to the trade unions, or has the term ‘labour’ fallen victim to semantic satiation? By reflecting on the history of strikes in the UK, we can explore the power and social impact brought by the unions and the importance of supporting the current movements within today’s political climate.

One of the most important movements in the history of British trade unions was the Welsh coal strike of 1898: the colliers of South Wales fought to remove the sliding scale (a tool used to calculate wages based on the price of coal). With over 15,000,000 working days lost, the miners gained an advance of 5%, a lower figure than their original goal. Following the strike, the South Wales Miners’ Federation was formed (colloquially known as ‘The Fed’). It was a left-leaning union affiliated with the Labour Party and by 1914 with 200000 members, it became the largest union within the UK.

Following the influence of the 1898 strike, the ‘sliding scale’ system was largely abandoned, replaced instead by a price list. However, this lack of consistency in wages across the country resulted in differing prices between collieries and districts, with miners across the country calling for a standard minimum wage. With almost one million workers involved, the miners’ first national strike began in February 1912, continuing for thirty-seven days. Almost 41,000,000 working days were lost, pushing the government to pass the Coal Mines (Minimum Wage) Act 1912.

The sentiment of solidarity has long been a foundation of the strength at the picket lines, the sense of unity highlighting the anger and necessary change, irrespective of the outcome of strike action. The General Strike of 1926 was the UK’s first and only general strike, initiated once again by the mining community. “Not a penny off the pay, not a minute off the day” echoed around Britain, as the miners disputed the reduction in wages and the deterioration of working conditions. As the strike took hold, more than 1.5 million workers from a range of industries joined the fight in support of the colliers. Despite the levels of nationwide support, the low pay and poor working conditions remained. The following year the Trades Disputes Act prohibited sympathy strikes, perhaps an implication that solidarity with the workers should come from elsewhere, such as the political parties affiliated with the trade unions.

As the nature of the economy changed in the UK, strikes developed in conjunction with the changing workforce of the twentieth century. The Winter of Discontent in 1979 almost feels like a reflection of the public sector strikes we have faced this summer. Lorry drivers, NHS staff and council workers all walked out, prompted by below inflation pay rises, virtually an echo of the 1% pay rise offered by Boris Johnson to NHS workers in 2021. After around 30,000,000 lost working days in the year 1978-79, pay rises for Ford workers, waste collectors, and gravediggers ensued. However, with some workers feeling let down by the Labour Party they turned to the Conservatives in the subsequent general election, with Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party winning a majority of forty-four in 1979.

With the current cost of living crisis, it is unsurprising that these workers would expect a similar success to their striking predecessors. With thousands from a variety of industries, rail, postal and telecommunications, continuing to strike after a summer of disrupted services, the significance of these walkouts cannot be ignored. A feeling of anguish has settled over our country’s labourers, heightened by Starmer’s anti-strike stance and the sacking of a Labour shadow minister Following a summer of political unrest in Number 10, our next trip to the polling stations may be in sight, with the risk of trade unionists asking the Labour Party ‘where was your solidarity when we needed you?’.

[Lyndsay Weatherall is a first year French and Italian student at Somerville College.]