Not many people know this. Admittedly, not many particularly want to. But in the interests of pedantry, if nothing else, let's note that this time next year, when no doubt the centenary of the 1926 general strike will be widely marked, everyone who says that it began on May 4th will be wrong. Not you, though; having read this, you'll be able to amaze your family and impress your friends by pointing out that the Trades Union Congress instructed its affiliated unions to start the strike at one minute to midnight on May 3rd.
And if you really want to be the object of every admiring gaze at any social gathering, you could always add that the unions never referred to the events of May as a general strike; they always called it the National Strike.
The overall story of the strike is too familiar to re-tell here. It was called in support of coal miners who were struggling against employers' demands that they accept both a cut in pay and an increase in hours. The stoppage was widely supported by workers, but ended after nine days in a crushing defeat which haunted the labour movement for decades. (By contrast, the next general strike in Britain, in July 1972, was so successful that its demands were met before it actually started). But perhaps there are one or two tales from 1926 which are not so well-known ...
When the day finally arrived for union leaders to vote on whether or not there should be a national strike, according to Julian Symons: "When the roll was called, the first on the list was the Union of Asylum Workers. They voted 'Yes' among some laughter."
The state had been carefully preparing for such a conflict for some years, and one of its measures was to prepare lists of people who might be willing to scab - posh students, for instance, who would consider it their duty to class and country, or maybe just a lark, to steer a lorry while its usual driver was on strike. One reason for the government's caution was that during the widespread unrest of 1919, there were cases of patriotic volunteers turning up unscreened at haulage yards, offering to take the place of a striker in the cab of a truck or van - and the vehicles disappearing down the road never to be seen again.
Amongst the most remarkable interventions by pillars of the establishment was that of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, who declared that "There is no moral justification for a general strike" which was "a sin against the obedience we owe to God" because "All are bound to uphold and assist the government, which is the lawfully-constituted authority of the country and represents therefore in its own appointed sphere the authority of God himself."
When newspapers were one of the main outlets for advertising, copywriters were often keen to tie their client's product to current headlines. This ad appeared in the Manchester Evening News on May 25th - long after the national strike had ended, in other words. Sometimes, when you think you've got hold of a neat idea, it can be hard to know it's time to let it go:
The Striking effect of the Strike on "DINNA PEAS"
So great and immediate was the demand that "DINNA" PEAS in all districts were soon exhausted.
Large quantities were poured into the different markets by road to keep this valuable food in reach of all. The enormous demand was a striking testimony of public opinion for the value of "DINNA" PEAS as a food and vegetable.
More puzzling still was a front-page advert in the Berks & Oxon Advertiser at the height of the dispute which declared that
Hedges Pork Pies are ON STRIKE
But their veal and ham pies volunteer to fill the gap.
One of the many patrols of special constables, recruited to put down rebellion and prevent strikers taking over the running of the country, was made up of polo players from the prestigious Roehampton Club. They rode their polo ponies, and carried their polo mallets as weapons. This particular unit became quite famous when it got lost in the backstreets of Whitechapel and asked a local man if he could guide the chaps back to the main road. He kindly agreed - and minutes later the polo players found themselves at the wrong end of a cul-de-sac where, from the windows of the flats above, the contents of dozens of chamber pots were emptied all over them.
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Sources:
The general strike by Julian Symons (House of Stratus, 2001)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13828537
https://tribunemag.co.uk/2022/07/pentonville-five-1972-dockers-strike-industrial-relations-act
Manchester Evening News 25 May 1926
Berks & Oxon Advertiser 7 May 1926