Why Did The General Strike Fail Flashcards
(29 cards)
On what date did printers stop printing?
May 3rd, 1926.
What day did the General Strike begin (Think: Luke, I am your father)?
May 4th, 1926.
Who took part in the GS?
Miners, railwaymen, dockers, road transport workers, printers and gas and electricity workers. Shipbuilders and engineers striked a week later.
When was the GS called off?
12th May.
What were miners forced into work by?
Hunger and poverty.
What did every miner return to?
Longer hours and smaller wages - 13% docked.
How had the TUC failed workers?
By refusing to negotiate as a united body with the Gov.
As a representative body the TUC were largely …
Discredited.
How much money did the TUC exhaust?
4 million pounds (meager).
What did Union membership drop to?
8.3 million in 1920 to 5.3 million in 1933.
When was the Trades Disputes Act?
1927.
What did the Trades Disputes Act entail?
Banned sympathetic strikes.
Who had never wanted a strike?
The TUC.
What had the TUC hoped?
That Baldwin would back down like he had in Red Friday and offer another subsidy.
Did the TUC have detailed preparations?
No. They only had hurried ones on the eve of the strike.
Was there a lot of support from other unions?
No. It wasn’t a ‘General Strike’ as only selected unions were called out.
Did everyone strike?
No. In some areas, people ignored it and just continued working.
Was the Gov. well prepared?
Yes.
What had given the Gov. more than a year to prepare?
1925 Red Friday.
When was the Emergency Powers Act?
1920.
How did the Gov. use the Emergency Powers Act?
It allowed for the formation of the ORGANISATION FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF SUPPLIES (OMS) which created a national network of voluntary workers.
What did the Gov. use to campaign against miners?
Highly effective propaganda.
What did Winston Churchill do?
Created the ‘British Gazette’.
How many copies did the ‘British Gazette’ sell a day?
Over 2 million copies.
