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.

Political difficulties

As the Ford strike was starting, the Labour Party conference began at Blackpool. Terry Duffy, President of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (though present as a delegate from Liverpool Wavertree Constituency Labour Party) moved a motion on October 2 which demanded "that the Government immediately cease intervening in wage negotiations". Although Duffy was known as a right-wing trade union leader, he was vociferously opposed to the 5% policy, calling it "political suicide", "insane" and "ridiculous". Despite a plea not to put the motion to the vote from Michael Foot, the resolution was carried by 4,017,000 to 1,924,000. The next day, the Prime Minister accepted the fact of defeat by saying "I think it was a lesson in democracy yesterday", but insisted that he would not let up on the fight against inflation.

Related Topics:
Blackpool - Terry Duffy - Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers - Liverpool - October 2 - Michael Foot

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Meanwhile the government's situation in the House of Commons was increasingly difficult. It had lost its majority in 1976 and had been forced to put together a pact with the Liberal Party in 1977 in order to keep winning votes, but this pact had lapsed in July 1978. The decision to grant extra Parliamentary seats to Northern Ireland ensured temporary support from the Ulster Unionist Party, but the Unionists were clear that this support would be withdrawn immediately after the Bill to grant extra seats had been passed. It was through the Ulster Unonists agreeing to abstain that the government defeated a motion of no confidence by 312 to 300 on November 9.

Related Topics:
House of Commons - 1976 - Liberal Party - 1977 - Northern Ireland - Ulster Unionist Party - November 9

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Further negotiation at the TUC

By the middle of November it was clear that Ford would offer an increase substantially over the 5% limit and the government entered into intense negotiation with the TUC, hoping to produce an agreement on pay policy that would prevent disputes and show political unity in the run-up to the general election. A limited and weak formula was eventually worked out and put to the General Council of the TUC on November 14, but the General Council ended up tied 14-14 on its adoption and it was rejected on the Chair's casting vote. One important personality on the TUC General Council had changed earlier in 1978 with Moss Evans replacing Jack Jones at the TGWU. Evans proved a weak leader of his union although it is doubtful whether Jones could have restrained the actions of some of the TGWU shop stewards.

Related Topics:
November 14 - Moss Evans - Jack Jones

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After Ford settled, the government wasted no time and on November 28 announced that sanctions would be imposed on them, along with 220 other companies, for breach of the pay policy. The announcement of actual sanctions produced an immediate protest from the Confederation of British Industry which announced that it would challenge their legality. The Conservatives also put down a motion in the House of Commons to revoke the sanctions. A co-ordinated protest by left-wing Labour MPs over spending on defence forced the debate on December 7 to be postponed, but when it went ahead on December 13, an amendment against the sanctions was passed by 285 to 279. The substantive motion as amended was then passed by 285 to 283. James Callaghan put down a motion of confidence for the next day, which the government won by 10 votes (300 to 290), but accepted that it could not use sanctions. In effect this deprived the government of any means of enforcing the 5% limit on private industry.

Related Topics:
November 28 - Confederation of British Industry - December 7 - December 13

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