Industrial Action Gallery

The post Office's first national strike in the history of the British Post Office

The post Office's first national strike in the history of the British Post Office took place from Wednesday 20th January to Sunday 7th March 1971. It came about because the wokers turned down a pay offer.
Mrs. Winnie Underwoood (pictured), a part-time postwoman at Long Lawford, Near Rugby, was all set to deliver mail in the village today...but none was posted. It was a similar picture in other villages. Few residents seemed to take advantage of a skeleton post service operating from today. Rugby Post Office are able to start the service at villages within their area because 60 postmen and women, mainly part-timers, are now reporting for duty. Only a handful are still on strike. Letters and parcels can now be delivered in each village if they are taken to a local sub-post office. There is still no delivery from one village to another and the town of Rugby will not benefit.
25th February 1971

© Mirrorpix

Barking fishing boats, 1844. Creator: Unknown

Barking fishing boats, 1844. ...fishing-smacks, belonging to Barking, in Essex; of which vessels...no fewer than sixty were lying in the river [Thames], a little below Woolwich, their crews having brought them home from sea, and struck work...Frequently...the smacks only come up the river as far as Gravesend, and having discharged their cargo of fish into the hatch-boats that ply between that place and the London market, they take in fresh provision and return to sea. This is called making a "Gravesend voyage". It tends to keep the men longer from their homes and families, but effects a great saving of time to the owners...The demands of the men are for increased wages and shorter voyages. Their present rate...is: men fourteen shillings a week, and mates sixteen. They want this to be advanced two shillings in each case, and the time of absence to be limited to one month'. From "Illustrated London News", 1844, Vol V

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The Coal Strike: Mr. Lloyd George addressing the miners representatives at Cardiff, 1915

The Coal Strike: Mr. Lloyd George addressing the miners representatives at Cardiff, 1915. On 15 July 1915 about 200, 000 coalminers in south Wales went on strike. They complained about poor wage rates and rejected an agreement that had been arrived at nationally. The strike was a serious event because the war effort depended on coal to fuel the navy and for the production of armaments. The miners were accused of treachery at a time of national crisis. David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (1863-1945), British Liberal politician. From The Manchester Guardian History of the War Vol. III - 1915.. [John Heywood Ltd, London, 1915]

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