For nine days, 99 years ago, Britain came to a standstill. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) called for the withdrawal of labour for workers in transport, electricity, gas, docks, heavy chemicals, building and, printing.
This was to stand in solidarity with the miners who had been locked out of work for refusing to accept lower pay and longer hours imposed on them by the coal owners and backed up by the Conservative government. This strike took place from one minute to midnight on 3 May until 12 May 1926 and saw more than 3 million workers go on strike.
Join..
PHM’s expert Archive Team as we look ahead to next year’s General Strike centenary.
Delve..
Into the museum’s General Strike collections including:
Explore..
The museum’s galleries, which include a small General Strike display with artefacts from the strike including truncheons used by special constables, newspapers including the Daily Mirror and The New Leader, a ceramic figure made on the day the strike collapsed, a telegram announcing the end of the strike, as well as miners’ lamp badges used for fundraising for miners and their families.
Suitable for 16+ (under 18s must have an accompanying adult).