Identity and conflicts of working people 1945- 2011

http://johncmullen.blogspot.com

An upmarket model from 1963

Union density in Britain

Miners’ gala in the 1960s

Ford Dagenham workers

Robots at Halewood

One of the new university buildings of the 1960s

1960s council housing

1945 Labour – Clement Attlee1951 Conservative – Winston Churchill, and others including Harold Macmillan1964 Labour – Harold Wilson1970 Conservative –Edward Heath1974 Labour –Harold Wilson

The governments of the long boom

UCS demonstration in the 1970s

Jimmy Reid

A poster in support of the Pentonville Five

One of the Pentonville five after their release

1979

1984

Pickets in 1984

Arthur Scargill

Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan

A commemorative statue to the mining industry

After a poll tax demonstration in 1990

Since 1979, anti-union laws make it harder to strike (solidarity strikes illegal, many forms of picketing illegal, postal votes obligatory)

Throughout the 1980s, union membership declined rapidly : due to a combination of government hostility towards the unions and de-industrialisation.

The 1984-5 miners’ strike was a key defeat for the trade union movement.

A slow recovery may be seen after 1995.

1979-1997 Conservative governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major : difficult times for trade unionists

1997

1997-2010 : the Labour governments under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown

Some reforms make union recognition easier. If 40% of employees in a firm vote in favour, the

employer must negotiate with the unionA minimum wage was introduced for the first time

BUTThe Labour government endorsed the concept of

‘labour flexibility’.

New Labour was keen to keep the unions at arm’s length.

Margaret Thatcher’s slogan had been « no more beer and sandwiches at number ten. »

Tony Blair’s slogan concerning the unions was « fairness but no favours ».

David Cameron warned union leaders 'Don't try taking me on'

2010-2011 Coalition government under David Cameron

2011 has seen some of the biggest public sector strikes for many years

On the 30th November 2011, there may be millions of people on strike over pensions.

Strike days in Britain 1975-2009

Statistics from the TUC, September 2011