**Strikes** have played a significant role in shaping workers' rights and labor conditions throughout history. While not all strikes achieve their intended goals, some have had remarkable success. Let's explore a few notable examples:
1. **General Strike of 1926**:
- In 1926, the UK witnessed a de-facto "general strike" involving over **1.5 million workers**. They supported coal miners who were facing pay and condition reductions.
- Unfortunately, the strike ended without any concessions for the miners after a court ruling deemed it illegal. New laws were subsequently introduced to prohibit general strikes and "sympathetic strikes" ¹.
2. **Ford Sewing Machinists Strike of 1968**:
- Women sewing machinists at the Ford Motor Company plant in Dagenham, Essex, went on strike when their jobs were downgraded to unskilled, resulting in lower pay (85% of men's pay).
- Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, **Barbara Castle**, intervened on their behalf, leading to a pay raise (92% of men's pay).
- This strike catalyzed the **Equal Pay Act of 1970**, which made it illegal to pay women less for the same work as men (though not for work of equal value). It took until 1984 for the Ford Dagenham women to achieve equal pay ¹.
3. **Miners' Strikes of the 1970s**:
- During the 1970s, miners went on strike again, marking the first significant strike since the failed general strike.
- Their efforts resulted in more success, although the specific outcomes varied ¹.
4. **Gas Workers and Dockers Strikes in the 1880s**:
- Before trade unions, workers endured grueling schedules of up to **16 hours a day**.
- Strikes by gas workers and dockers in the 1880s secured an **eight-hour working day**, which eventually became the new norm ².
5. **1995 Strikes in France**:
- The 1995 strikes in France remain a significant success. They protested a plan by Prime Minister **Alain Juppé** to align the pension system for civil servants and public company employees with that of the private sector ⁴.
In summary, the impact of strikes depends on factors such as government strength, public support, and legal context. While some strikes have achieved landmark gains, others have faced crackdowns and yielded no concessions for workers ¹.
Source:
(1) When have industries previously gone on strike and what has it achieved ....
https://news.sky.com/story/when-have-industries-previously-gone-on-strike-and-what-has-it-achieved-12779913.
(2) What have strikes ever achieved? | The Independent | The Independent.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/what-have-strikes-ever-achieved-10389910.html.
(3) Strikes in France: Is it a tactic that actually works?.
https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/07/strikes-in-france-is-it-a-tactic-that-actually-works-to-change-the-governments-mind.
(4) The Teacher Strike: Conditions for Success - Dissent Magazine.
https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/the-teacher-strike-conditions-for-success/.
(5) When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right.
https://theconversation.com/when-do-strikes-work-history-shows-the-conditions-need-to-be-right-187890.
