Winter of Discontent

The "Winter of Discontent" is a nickname given to the British winter of 1978–79, during which there were widespread strikes by Trade Unions demanding larger pay rises for their members. The strikes were a result of the attempted enforcement of a government rule that pay rises be kept below 5%, and began in private industry before spreading to the public sector; many of them seriously disrupted everyday life. Whilst the strikes were largely over by February 1979, the government's inability to contain the strikes earlier helped lead to Margaret Thatcher's victory in the 1979 general election and legislation to restrict unions.

Related Topics:
Nickname - British - Winter - 1978 - 79 - Strike - Trade Union - Margaret Thatcher - 1979 general election

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The most notorious strike, although it only affected a small part of the country, involved gravediggers and prevented burials for several weeks. Many Britons who were alive at the time will remember piles of rubbish accumulating in public parks because the rubbish collectors were on strike. The phrase is derived from the opening line of William Shakespeare's Richard III: "Now is the Winter of our Discontent ...", and was popularly applied to the events of the winter by the then editor of The Sun, Larry Lamb, in an editorial.

Related Topics:
William Shakespeare - Richard III - Editor - The Sun - Larry Lamb

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