Strike Activity: beginning of the timeline.
This graphic presented and analyzed above by the Office for National Statistics shows the decline level of strikes in the UK in 2017 with 33,000 workers being involved in the cause. The number of workers in 2017 was recorded as the lowest level of strikes compared to the 1893 which saw more than 600 millions national coal strikes.
In 1926, Britain's first General Strike began which lasted for ten days. This strike saw an high amount of dissatisfaction felt by the workers and their poor condition or work an retribution worsen by the government and mining owners and with the dispute lasting few days, worker were to return to work and face the terrible of when they felt. Remembering this date is essential as it marks the ever first failure by the TUC (Trade Union Congress) and the consecutive decline of trade union trust.
Further couple of years of calm winds, around the 80s, Britain labour witnessed two public strikes ( Winter of discontent and The Mining strike 1984-1985) being erupted managing to gain the title of highest level of labour lost the government has ever suffered with 50 millions days lost combined. The 1984 Mining Strike was a major industrial action which unfortunately lasted a year, leaving a more bitter image of trade unions that in this occasion disappointed any expectation of improvement. The fight was against miners and the National Coal Board to prevent the closure of colliery.
With being continuously disappointed with the results of past strikes, trade unions started to decline in participation and the following 1990s strikes such as Liverpool Dockers disputes which saw a dispute between dockers and their employers for refusing to picket lines in retaliation, clearly did not makes any improvements as the level of strikes would decline from there.
The 20th century did witness few significant strikes lead by nationwide firefighter since the 1970s over payments securing a better salary that ended with the firefighters accepting a pay deal of 16 per cent over three years as a result of negotiations. The year 2011 formally marked a series of initial increase of disputes that saw schools and hospital forced to close for a period of time.
Case Study-The General Strike of 1926.
The very first strike recorded lasted 10 days. beginning in the early 20s that saw around 1,7 million worker marching in Britain streets requesting for better labor relations and correct retribution. The General Strike started in view of the fact that during the last few days before the start of the strike millions of coal miners where forcefully denies work just for the fact of demanding for more money despite the employer compelling them to work more hours. In the form of retaliation many workers coming from different sectors such as rail, bus, printing, building and many more decided to stay off work, causing a huge stoppage of work around these sectors.
The largest industrial dispute in Britain's history which was called by the TUC (Trades Union Congress) in order to tackle the possibility of wages reductions by the government, resulted in numerous fights being broken between the police and the ultimate appeal of the Prime Minister Mr S. Baldwin using the following words "I am a man of peace. I am longing, and looking and praying for peace. But I will not surrender the safety and the security of the British constitution".
The trade union at the time, was created after the World War I and was initially filled with unions of skilled workers, did not bring any type of solution as the TUC decided to call of the strike without further contra attack resulting in more than 4 million pounds trade unions funds being dropped as well as millions of trade union memberships.
This disappointing performance and support given by the TUC was worsen by the introduction of the 1927 Trades Disputes Act passed by Mr. Baldwin government, legally banning sympathy strikes (17 and 18 Geo V c 22).
The miners felt a feeling of defeat following the discovery of the secret negotiation made by the trade union without their knowledge. By that time the pressure was extremely high and controlled by the media such as BBC forced the miners to let down their arms and go back to work still working for less pay and longer hours.

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