"The unfolding of long strikes" : an investigation of three twentieth century United Kingdom garment industry strikes

Abstract

This thesis aims to find out why some strikes continue for a long time when most are over within a week or two. Many different sources were used and the main archives consulted were for the National Union of Tailor and Garment Workers at the Working Class Movement Library in Salford, and the Wholesale Apparel Manufacturers’ records at the Modern Records Centre in the University of Warwick. Other sources included local newspapers, film, Jewish Workers’ oral history transcripts, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and one live interview.

The thesis analyses how workers’ grievances, mobilisation and the interactions provoked between all the parties, generated each of these long strikes. The conclusion adds to understanding about strikes by identifying analogies between the three strikes and making some theoretical inferences. The methodology entailed producing a detailed time line for each strike and this provided the material about grievances and mobilisation. To find the most important interactions which affected the length of each dispute, a short summary was written showing how the main events were linked. This was informally tested and revised to find a plausible story which was supported by the evidence and explained how events were connected.

The study found some analogies which may aid understanding about long strikes. Grievances that posed a broad challenge to management and had wider economic resonance made settlement harder. Creating a sense of ‘we can win’ before the strike, and continuing successful mobilisation whilst failing to prevent company output prolonged these strikes but also generated tension between strikers and the union leaders. Employers prolonged each strike significantly, principally by organising ways around output restrictions, delaying negotiations, intimidating strikers and refusing to meet mediators. Outsiders were needed to end each strike and their intervention was accompanied by a withdrawal of mobilisation resources. The unfolding of each strike resulted from complex interaction between many parties, well beyond that of employers and strikers.

Four key theoretical issues then have arisen from these analogies and these appear to be additions to the existing literature. First, the nature of the grievance may have a continuing influence on the unfolding of a strike, either from the workers’ employers’ or other parties’ perspectives. Second, mobilisation is pursued for different purposes in a strike. Third, the actions of all parties, including apparently remote social actors, can be important in the unfolding of the strike. Fourth, mediation occasions a reduction in mobilisation even when there is no requirement to do so.

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