IV.

Events

The General Strike began at one minute to midnight on May 3, 1926. At first the TUC, which had not gained the support of the unions for industrial action against worsening pay and conditions of miners until May 1, only called out the “front-line workers”. These “front-line” workers were those in essential key industries and services such as printing, the railways, and road transport. The vast majority of the less vital “second-line” workers, such as engineers, did not come out on strike although a few did heed the call to strike at noon on May 12, ironically the very moment that the strike was being called off. By and large the workers came out in support of the strike when asked to do so and the local councils of action, normally based upon trades councils, organized local strike activities. Nevertheless, the government managed to keep control of vital supplies, using volunteers to maintain a skeleton service on the railways, controlling the British Broadcasting Corporation, and publishing the British Gazette in response to the TUC's British Worker.