On 3rd May 1926, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called three million workers out on strike to support the coal miners locked out by their employers.

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Frankie Hine-Hughes History coursework 858

Why did the General strike of 1926 take place?

On 3rd May 1926, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called three million workers out on strike to support the coal miners locked out by their employers. The strike lasted nine days. There were three main causes to this General Strike: Britain’s economic crisis, problems in the coal industry, and Government policy towards industrial relations. The root cause of the General Strike, however, was the conflict within the coal industry.

In the spring of 1920, Britain had experienced its worst economic slump, caused by poor performance in foreign markets; lack of investment and modernization in British industry, and increased competition abroad.  Britain’s coal industry was trading less in 1925 than before the 1914-18 war.

The Government attempted to stabilise the economy by reintroducing the Gold Standard in 1925. Unfortunately, they overestimated the value of sterling by 10%, increasing the problems of British industry. The economic situation, however, had not deteriorated to the extent that a general strike was unavoidable. What was necessary was a catalyst. This came from the coal industry.

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The loss of foreign markets, the fall of world commodity prices, and the decline in the competitiveness of British coal in foreign markets exacerbated existing poor relations between mine owners and workers. The mine owners’ response to falling productivity (due to their lack of modernisation and reinvestment) was a proposal to reduce wages and increase working hours.

For the miners, this wasn’t acceptable. They worked in miserable conditions: two percent died, and 25% were injured or crippled by industrial disease. They were discontented because the nationalisation promised by the 1919 Sankey Commission had not happened. The miners had experienced better ...

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