1977 strike
Michael Spice was a firefighter during the controversial 1977 firemen’s strike.
He said: “I was the only one at the station not in the union as it happens, but I went on strike with the others.”
The strike was over pay and conditions and pension rights and went on for nine weeks, though Mr Spice’s wife Maggie said that nine weeks without any pay coming in made it seem much longer.
The Government called in the Army and 10,000 servicemen used the military’s fleet of “Green Goddess” fire engines to respond to calls.
However, Mr Spice recalls his crew did respond to one incident during the strike.
He said: ”It was a serious road traffic crash and the Army just didn’t have the expertise – we did.”
Firemen were then earning £3,700 per annum for a 48-hour week and there was widespread public support for the strikers.
The Fire Brigades Union were demanding a 30% pay increase. If that sounds a lot to younger readers, they should be aware that inflation in 1977 was running at 16% and two years earlier had reached 25%.
The union was finally forced to accept the Government’s original offer of 10%.
Mr Spice said: “In the end the strike did no-one any favours.”
Mrs Spice recalled how her husband had gone straight away to the bank manager to arrange a loan.
Others had turned to money lenders, and were crippled with extortionate re-payments for years after.