May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom

E15293

The May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom was a major nationwide industrial action, led by the Trades Union Congress in support of coal miners, that brought much of the country’s economy to a standstill and became one of the most significant labor conflicts in British history.

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Observed surface forms (4)


Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf general strike
historical event
industrial dispute
affectedSector coal industry
docks and shipping
newspaper publishing
public transport
rail transport
aim to oppose longer working hours for miners
to prevent wage cuts for miners
alsoKnownAs May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom
surface form: 1926 General Strike

May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom
surface form: British General Strike of 1926
consequence legal restrictions on general strikes in the United Kingdom
setback for the British labour movement
weakening of the Trades Union Congress
country United Kingdom
duration 9 days
endDate 1926-05-12
followedBy Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927
governmentResponse deployment of police and, in some cases, troops
use of volunteers to maintain essential services
headOfGovernmentDuringEvent Stanley Baldwin
historicalSignificance largest industrial dispute in British history at the time
one of the most significant labour conflicts in British history
legalStatus declared illegal by the government
location England
Great Britain
Scotland
Wales
mainCause dispute over coal miners' wages and hours
mediaResponse publication of the government newspaper 'The British Gazette'
monarchDuringEvent George V
numberOfWorkersInvolved over 1.5 million
opposedBy Conservative government of the United Kingdom
surface form: Conservative government of Stanley Baldwin
organizedBy Trades Union Congress
partOf interwar labour unrest in the United Kingdom
precededBy Samuel Commission on the coal industry
collapse of negotiations between government, mine owners and unions
result continued lockout of miners after the strike ended
failure of the general strike to achieve its immediate aims
return of most workers to work without concessions
significantParticipant Miners' Federation of Great Britain
Trades Union Congress General Council
dock workers
printing workers
railway workers
transport workers
startDate 1926-05-03
supportOf coal miners
triggeredBy proposed extension of miners' working hours
proposed wage reductions for coal miners

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom alsoKnownAs May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom
this entity surface form: 1926 General Strike
May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom alsoKnownAs May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom
this entity surface form: British General Strike of 1926
Second Baldwin government handledEvent May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom
this entity surface form: General Strike of 1926
Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 motivatedByEvent May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom
this entity surface form: 1926 United Kingdom General Strike
Interwar period significantEvent May 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom