General Strike
ONE OUT, ALL OUT IN 1926 IN SUPPORT OF THE MINERS
IN May 1926, the streets of Derby were alive with people in carnival mood. They were celebrating the end of the General Strike. Less than a decade after the end of the First World War, Britain had again been catapulted into conflict. This time, though, it was not military, but industrial – and it would not go on for four years but would last only nine days.
It would, however, bring chaos, close down industry and services, and pitch worker against employer as never before.
A nation left to mourn a lost generation was fertile ground for political change. Predictably, perhaps, the horrors of war had led to an increasing number of people adopting a pacifist line, but just as potent was the huge number of those choosing to join the more radical political parties.
While Derby has never been a political hotbed, it was the site of the Silk Mill Lockout in 1833 and 1834 – widely regarded as the first major industrial dispute in Britain.
In 1900, Derby was the first place in England to elect a Labour MP. Richard Bell, a native of Merthyr Tydfil, was only the second Labour MP in Britain. His successor, Jimmy Thomas, was a much-loved and colourful character, who was to serve Derby for more than a quarter of a century, during some of the most turbulent years in modern times. Thomas had long been associated with the trades unions.
At the time of his election he was chairman of the National Union of Railwaymen, and he played a prominent role in the General Strike.
For years there had been increasing tension between workers’ unions and employers. By the spring of 1926 a crisis in the coal industry threatened to evolve into major industrial action. Mine owners wanted to cut workers’ wages while increasing their hours, but the unions were refusing to accept this.
The miners threatened all-out strike and enlisted the support of most of the country’s major unions.
The Derby Telegraph of April 29 reported: “Today is likely to prove a day of exceptionally grave importance to the coal industry. Until nearly midnight on Wednesday, the Prime Minister was engaged with the owners in a quest for the key that would open up the path to peace, and as early as eight o’clock this morning, the miners’ representatives met further to consider the discussions of Wednesday, and to prepare themselves for those of today.”
Soon one million coalminers found themselves locked out of their mines by owners who wanted to force them to agree to their terms. On May 1, it was clear that the TUC was ready to call a General Strike.
According to the Derby Telegraph: “The following trades are involved in thee strike call – transport, including railways, sea transport, docks, road transport, and railway repair shops. Printing trades including the Press. Iron and steel. Building workers, except those employed on housing and hospital work. Unions connected with the supply of electricity and gas are to co-operate with the object of ceasing to supply power.
“Sanitary services are to be continued, and no interference with health and food services. The trades unions will do everything in their power to organise distribution for milk and food.”
When no resolution could be found, unions told all workers in the affected trades to prepare for strike action. Many May Day celebration events became the focus for those wishing to organise the strike. Jimmy Thomas, however, was unable to attend a May Day event in his constituency and sent his apologies: “Deeply regret impossible to attend May Day demonstration. Never in my experience has country been faced with such serious crisis. Outlook intensely black but imperative that all who desire peace should strive for settlement.”
At one May Day meeting, in the Central Hall, Mr E Gadsby, secretary of both the Trades Council and of Derby No 1 Branch of the Railwaymen’s Union, read out Thomas’s message “as well as one from the executive of the Union, instructing all members not to take duty after Monday midnight”.
Mr Gadsby was confident of support for the General Strike: “I don’t think we are going to have a man remaining at work.” That afternoon Derby’s annual May Day service was being held in St Werburgh’s Church. Alderman Raynes addressed the congregation on the topic of “brotherhood”. According to a report in the Derby Telegraph: “He concluded by asking them to keep their courage high in the crisis. They should have a clear and settled mind and have before them a vision of the truth as they realised it. Then they would go fearlessly forward … Let the workers of Derby and of Britain show such an example of quiet solidarity that battle of the workers might be won by their efforts.” All very stirring stuff, but it was the words of Canon Blunt, vicar of St Werburgh’s, that was to cause most reaction.
Using the parable of the Good Samaritan, he told the congregation “that the world as it stood at present was not sufficiently organised on a brotherly basis. They should do their best to work in partnership for the good of the community.
“Cheaper production might be a good thing in its way but it was dearly bought at the expense of a decent subsistence for every man. Fair play all round was what was wanted … He had much sympathy for a man who claimed a living wage, but not much sympathy for a man who claimed a wage to enable his to buy a motor car … someone would tell him tomorrow he was preaching Socialism. He was not. Anyone who told him that would be a person who did not know what Socialism was.
“It was his belief that he was preaching the Sermon on the Mount, and not Socialism. That sermon was the great political manifesto for all times, and only by its principles was the world going to make true progress”.
Meanwhile, negotiations continued right up to the deadline but no agreement could be reached. On the eve of the strike, reporting on what it called “The Great Crisis”, the Derby Telegraph noted: “Today has been marked by anxiety and some uncertainty in the industrial situation … the country is patiently hoping for the best... By this hour tomorrow, unless almost a miracle intervenes to prevent it, the whole industrial life of the country will be almost completely paralysed.”
The General Strike began at one minute to midnight on May 3, 1926. The Government immediately declared a state of emergency. On the first day it is estimated that more than 1.5 million workers were on strike. The Derby Telegraph reported: “The Derby Corporation Electricity Department have provided for the contingency of a coal strike, and report that there is no danger of any curtailment of services. They have coal supplies that will last a considerable length of time. In fact, this department prides itself on having made provision for all difficulties that may arise. The Derby Gas Company are also in a good position in regard to supplies of coal.”
Some optimistic souls, among them Major Graham Pole, Labour candidate for South Derbyshire, doubted it would last long. He had told the May Day demonstration at Long Eaton “the miners had rightly refused an offer which was in direct
opposition to the spirit of the Coal Commission’s Report. Troops were being moved about and reserves were being called up but if the workers sat down with folded arms the lock-out would end within a week.” He was not quite correct.
In big cities, roads became choked with cars because there was no public transport. Food deliveries were stopped and the armed forces called in to escort and protect food lorries. In some towns volunteers ran limited public transport. But not all was calm. In Northumberland, strikers derailed the Flying Scotsman steam locomotive.
Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin reassured people: “I am longing, and looking and praying for peace. But I will not surrender the safety and the security of the constitution. Cannot you trust me to ensure a square deal and to ensure even justice between man and man?”
For the average citizen – there being few newspapers – information was almost impossible to acquire. Crowds gathered daily outside the offices of the Derby Telegraph and the Derby Express for the posting in the windows of important news. Because of the strike, we have to rely upon the pages of the Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal – which was able to print an edition on May 7 in which it declared: “This week has probably been the most sensational in the industrial history of England … Every effort is being made by the Government to combat the situation. An earnest appeal is being made for volunteers to carry on the essential services of the country … The public is naturally requested to employ the services of the post, telegraph and telephone as sparingly as possible. The authorities have taken over the functioning of the BBC. Although hundreds of thousands of men are idle throughout the country, their conduct has been orderly, and Labour leaders have appealed to them to keep the peace.”
Emergency centres were opened. In Derby this was at the Guildhall, where volunteers were organised to run essential services. “Situation in Derby and District – Volunteers for carrying on the essential services in Derby can enlist at the Town Hall, and many have already done so. The staple industries of the town are all idle. The members of the NUR and railway clerks employed by the London, Midland and Scottish ceased work after the Monday night’s shift, the engineers at RollsRoyce at noon on Tuesday. Most of the employees in the printing trade did not go to work on Tuesday, and no trams are running. Electric power is rationed, but there is no likelihood of it ceasing. In the county the Trent Buses are no longer running, but certain other bus services continue.”
A “Voluntary Service Committee” was set up and brought together members of the council and representatives of local services. And then it was all over. Just nine days after the General Strike began, the TUC – which had been holding secret talks with the mine owners – called off the action.
Once more the Derby Telegraph was printed, declaring “Sunshine and Band Greet Welcome News in Derby Streets”.
“Once more we have the privilege of addressing our readers … We shall spill no ink in airing any personal grievances we have been called on to endure in this eight days’ stoppage of publication.”
In what was described as an “almost carnival spirit”, news of the ending of the General Strike spread quickly as “people hurried about the town to spread the glad tidings”. But there were also concerns that it was all too good to be true: “At first the news was received with some doubt, so quickly had the decision been reached without previous definite intimation that a meeting was to take place, but as credence was given to it the centre of the town became the magnet for hundreds of people.
“The Salvation Army Band, in full uniform, marched from the Osmaston Road Barracks down St Peter’s Street and the Cornmarket … and in sunshine gave a capital programme of music to a crowd of several hundreds in the Market Place … As the afternoon wore on fewer men and more of the fairer sex thronged the streets – laughing, joking and talking – and it needed only a few balloon and confetti sellers to make an appearance for the true carnival spirit to get full rein.”
Of course, with so many workers out on strike for more than a week, returning to normal was never going to be simple. As the Derby Telegraph reported: “The resumption of business after the strike is, as was only to be expected, beset with many difficulties.” Some workers refused to return to work until they could be assured of their positions. Some were instructed to return immediately, others to wait a few days and others still were concerned to learn that they had to sign new terms of employment before they would be permitted to resume their duties. Some employers wanted to ensure that such a sudden large-scale strike could never happen again, but others sought to use it to force their workers to accept a reduction in wages, or changes in working hours and conditions. So the dispute was far from ended and several unions remained dissatisfied with their lot. The miners’ strike, which had begun the mass walk out, was not resolved until December.
‘Cheaper production might be good but it was dearly bought at the expense of a subsistence for every man’