London strikes: From the dock strikes to the Winter of Discontent - action over the years
We’ve taken a look at some of the major strike actions the capital has seen over the decades.
A wave of industrial action swept the country this week, with half a million workers walking out on Wednesday March 15, the day Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced his Spring Budget.
Teachers, junior doctors, civil servants and workers on the London Underground took to the picket lines, while rallies and marches took place at Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament.
The protests have been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis the UK is facing, with workers across several industries demanding better pay and conditions.
This wave of protests has been compared to the 1978–79 Winter of Discontent, when large-scale action across a range of industries contributed to the fall of the Labour government led by James Callaghan.
Strikes have been used as a bargaining tool by workers since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
A collective consciousness developed over workers’ rights, leading to the legalisation of the trade unions under the Trade Union Act of 1871.
Since that time, strikes have become a frequent fixture in industrial relations in the UK, sometimes changing the landscape of our society.
From the London Dock strike in 1889 to the Winter of Discontent in 1978-79, we’ve taken a look at some of the major strike actions the capital has seen over the years.
1. Dustmen protesters photobomb a wedding photo in 1969
The wedding of Peter Oxley and Alena Czeknovska at Caxton Hall clashes peaceably with a dustmen’s protest during a period of industrial action, October 3, 1969. Dustman Billy MaGinnis waves a placard behind the heads of the happy couple. (Photo by Norman Potter/Express/Getty Images)
2. Dock labourers’ strike in London, August 26th 1889.
A scene from a demonstration during the dock labourers’ strike in London, August 26, 1889, showing ‘Father Neptune’, London, England. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
3. Picket line in 1913
Pickets outside the General Motor Cab Company in Kennington, London, during a strike, January 1, 1913. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
4. Great Railway Strike in 1919
A noticeboard at a London station announces a limited service to Surbiton, Hampton Court and Barnes during the Great Railway Strike, September 1919. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)