The General Strike

1926

The General Strike, a 'sympathetic' strike by the trade unions of Great Britain, undertaken in support of the Miners' Federation in their dispute with the coal-owners. Because of the bad state of the coal-mining industry the government had in 1925 granted the owners a year's subsidy and set up a commission of inquiry under Sir Herbert Samuel. The commission recommended (6 March) that a scheme of reorganisation of the industry be put into operation as soon as practicable. The government subsidy was due to expire in May 1926, and the owners posted notices of this and of their intention not to continue to employ the miners thereafter except at lower rates and for longer hours; but they made no definite proposals until after the expiry of the notices, and then did not include any plans for substantial reorganisation. In consequence the Trades Union Congress called a conference of its constituent unions and reported that it could see no alternative to a general sympathetic strike as a means of furthering the miners' cause. The executives resolved that a strike be called as from midnight 3 - 4 May. The vast majority of the organised workers ceased work, though the essential services were partially carried on by volunteers acting upon plans outlined by the government in the light of the experience of the railway strike of 1919 and the miners' strike of 1920.

In the absence of newspapers the government took control of the radio and issued a journal of its own, the British Gazette, whilst the TUC published the British Worker. Sir Herbert Samuel was invited by a negotiating committee (which included miners' representatives) to interpret certain parts of the report of his commission and to act as mediator. The Samuel memorandum was prepared as a basis of settlement and accepted by the TUC in the belief that it would be acceptable to the government, but when it was presented to the executive of the Minders' Federation they refused its terms, notwithstanding that it had the backing of their own representatives on the negotiating committee. The TUC, feeling that the unions had gone as far as they could in supporting the miners, advised the executives of its constituent bodies to call the strike off, and it ended inconclusively on 13 May. The miners stayed out for another six months but were eventually driven back to work by starvation. They returned on the owners' terms, to longer hours, lower wages, and district agreements - and the owners did nothing to improve conditions.

The General Strike involved over 2 million employed persons, and caused the loss of about 162 million working days.

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