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.
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.
5. Rush hour during a tram strike
Crowds at a tram terminus in Aldgate, London, during a transport strike. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
6. Rent Strike in 1938
1938: Tenants from Quinns Buildings in Bethnal Green, London, march through the streets carrying banners during a rent strike, protesting over housing conditions. (Photo by London Express/Getty Images)
7. Teacher strikes 1970
January 21, 1970: Teachers from London schools marching from County Hall to the Department of Education during industrial action over pay. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
8. Equal Pay strikes in 1976
A demonstration outside Central Hall Westminster supporting the Right To Work movement an the Equal Pay Strike at Trico, London, Uk, June, 15, 1976. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)