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 the Labour government's 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 Conservative victory in the 1979 general election and legislation to restrict unions. A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Tom is short for Thomas). ... In many parts of the world, winter is associated with snow. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The public sector is that part of economic and administrative life that deals with the delivery of goods and services by and for the government, whether national, regional or local/municipal. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 1979 was held on May 3, 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ...

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. This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Underwater funeral in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea from an edition with drawings by Alphonse de Neuville and Edouard Riou. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Life and Death of King Richard III is William Shakespeares version of the short career of Richard III of England, who receives a singularly unflattering depiction. ... An Editor is a person who prepares text—typically language, but also images and sounds—for publication by correcting, condensing, or otherwise modifying it. ... For other uses, see Sun (disambiguation). ... Sir Albert Lamb, commonly known as Larry Lamb (July 15, 1929 – May 19, 2000) was a British newspaper editor. ...

An iconic image of the Winter of Discontent: piles of refuse are dumped on the paths of Finsbury Park in London during a strike of refuse workers.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (897x567, 217 KB)An iconic image of the Winter of Discontent: paths on Finsbury Park in London are used as a temporary store for the accumulating refuse. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (897x567, 217 KB)An iconic image of the Winter of Discontent: paths on Finsbury Park in London are used as a temporary store for the accumulating refuse. ... Finsbury Park is a place in London, England, at the junction of the London Boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7. ...

Background

The Labour governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan had been fighting for several years against inflation, which had peaked at 26.9% in the year to August 1975, but wished to avoid large increases in unemployment. As part of the campaign to bring down inflation, the government had agreed a 'Social contract' with the Trades Union Congress which allowed for a voluntary incomes policy in which the pay rises for workers were held down to limits set by the government. Previous governments had brought in incomes policies backed by Acts of Parliament, but the Social contract agreed that this would not happen. The Right Honourable Sir James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the longest serving Labour Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable Sir Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005), was Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ... Social contract (or contractarianism) is a phrase used in philosophy, political science and sociology to denote a real or hypothetical agreement within a state regarding the rights and responsibilities of the state and its citizens, or more generally a similar concord between a group and its members, or between individuals. ... Image:TradeUnionsCongress20050108 CopyrightKaihsuTai. ... In economics, incomes policies are wage and price controls used to fight inflation. ...

Phases I and II

Phase I of the pay policy was announced on July 11, 1975 with a White paper entitled The Attack on Inflation. It proposed a limit on wage rises of £6 per week for all earning below £8,500 yearly. The TUC general council had accepted these proposals by 19 votes to 13. On May 5, 1976 the TUC accepted a new policy for the forthcoming year's negotiations of increases beginning August 1 between £2.50 and £4 per week; at the annual Congress on September 8 that year it rejected a motion which called for a return to free collective bargaining (which meant no incomes policy at all) once the agreement expired on August 1, 1977. This proposal became Phase II of the incomes policy. July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... A white paper can be an authoritative report on a major issue, as by a team of experts; a government report outlining policy; or a short treatise whose purpose is to educate industry customers. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

Phase III

At the 1978 TUC, Callaghan sings Marie Lloyd's song "Waiting at the church" to let delegates know that he does not intend to call a general election that year

On July 15, 1977 the Chancellor of the Exchequer Denis Healey announced Phase III of the incomes policy in which there was to be a phased return to free collective bargaining, without "a free-for-all". After prolonged negotiations, the TUC agreed to continue with the increases recommended for that year under Phase II limits and not to try to reopen agreements made under the previous policy, while the Government agreed not to intervene in pay negotiations. The Conservative Party criticised the lack of any stronger policy. The inflation rate continued to fall through 1977 and by 1978 the annual rate fell below 10%. Image File history File links James Callaghan, speaking at the Trades Union Congress on September 5, 1978, sings the Marie Lloyd song Waiting at the church in an attempt to tell the delegates that there will be no election that year. ... Image File history File links James Callaghan, speaking at the Trades Union Congress on September 5, 1978, sings the Marie Lloyd song Waiting at the church in an attempt to tell the delegates that there will be no election that year. ... Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (February 12, 1870 - October 7, 1922), was a British music-hall singer . ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Rt. ... Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey, PC (born 30 August 1917), is a British Labour politician, regarded by many as the best Prime Minister we never had. He was born in Keighley, Yorkshire. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

The 5% limit

Despite having prepared for the end of the incomes policy, on July 21, 1978 Denis Healey introduced a new White Paper which set a guideline for pay rises of 5% in the year from August 1 (Callaghan's initial preference had been for 3%, but other ministers considered this totally unachievable). The TUC council voted overwhelmingly on July 26 to reject the limit and insist on a return to free collective bargaining. Unexpectedly, on September 7, Prime Minister James Callaghan announced that he would not be calling a general election that autumn but seeking to go through the winter with continued pay restraint so that the economy would be in a better state in preparation for a spring election. The pay limit was officially termed 'Phase IV' but most referred to it as 'the 5% limit'. Although the government did not make the 5% limit a legal requirement, it decided to impose sanctions on government contractors who broke the limit. July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ...

Ford negotiations

Striking Ford workers demonstrate outside the negotiations over the company's pay offer in November 1978

Although not an official guideline, the pay rise set by Ford Motors was accepted throughout private industry as a benchmark for negotiations. Ford had enjoyed a good year and could afford a large rise, but was a major government contractor. The management at Ford therefore made a pay offer within the 5% guidelines; 15,000 Ford workers, mostly from the Transport and General Workers Union began an unofficial strike on September 22, and the TGWU made it official from October 5 (the number of participants grew to 57,000). During the strike, Vauxhall Motors employees accepted an 8.5% rise. After long negotiation in which they weighed the chances of suffering from government sanctions against the continued damage of the strike, Ford eventually revised their offer to 17% and decided to accept the sanctions; Ford workers accepted the rise on November 22. Image File history File links Employees of Ford Motors demonstrate outside the negotiations over their pay offer in November 1978. ... Image File history File links Employees of Ford Motors demonstrate outside the negotiations over their pay offer in November 1978. ... The Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford or Fords; sometimes nicknamed FoMoCo), NYSE: F is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, United States (where the company is currently headquartered), and incorporated on June 16, 1903. ... The Transport and General Workers Union, also known as the TGWU and the T&G, is one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland - where it is known as the Amalgamated TGWU - with 900,000 members (and was once the largest trade union in the... September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... Vauxhall Motors is a UK car company. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. The Tower, Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in England, on the coast of the Irish Sea. ... Terry Duffy has served on the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders since 2004. ... The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU) was a British trade union. ... Liverpools skyline, as seen from the River Mersey. ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... The Right Honourable Michael Mackintosh Foot (born 23 July 1913), British politician, was leader of the Labour Party from 1980 to 1983. ...

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. The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and is now the dominant branch of Parliament. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become known as... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... official_languages = Englishde facto5| Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party ) is a moderate unionist political party in Northern Ireland, which formed its government between 1921 and 1972 and was supported by most unionists throughout the Troubles. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ...

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. November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... Jack Jones is a British trade union leader and former general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union. ...

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. November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... CBI logo The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) was formed in 1965 and exists as a pressure group and a lobbying organisation for its members. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Lorry drivers

A petrol station notice advises drivers that pumps have run dry due to the tanker drivers' strike.

With effectively no means of enforcing the pay policy, unions which had not yet put in pay claims began to increase their aim. The first to take extreme action were lorry drivers, members of the TGWU. Large numbers of the lorry drivers worked on oil tankers, and drivers working for BP and Esso began an overtime ban in support of rises of up to 40% on December 18. With supplies of oil being disrupted, the Cabinet Office prepared 'Operation Drumstick', by which the Army were put on standby to take over from the tanker drivers. However, the Operation would need the declaration of a State of Emergency in order to allow conscription of the assets of the oil companies, and the government drew back from such a step. Before the situation developed into a crisis the oil companies settled on wage rises of around 15%. Image File history File links A petrol station displays a notice advising that their pumps have run dry during the tanker drivers strike as part of the Winter of Discontent in January 1979. ... Image File history File links A petrol station displays a notice advising that their pumps have run dry during the tanker drivers strike as part of the Winter of Discontent in January 1979. ... BP p. ... An Esso Station in Toronto Esso in Higashi-Osaka Esso is an international trade name used by ExxonMobil and its related companies. ... December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Cabinet Office is a United Kingdom government department. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or may order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. ...

From January 3, 1979 an unofficial strike of all TGWU lorry drivers began. With petrol distribution held up, petrol stations closed across the country. The strikers also picketed the main ports. The strikes were made official on January 11 by the TGWU and January 12 by the United Road Transport Union. With 80% of the nation's goods transported by road, essential supplies were put in danger as striking drivers picketed those firms that continued to work. While the oil tanker drivers were working, the main refineries were also targeted and the tanker drivers let the strikers know where they were going, allowing for flying pickets to turn them back at their destination. More than 1,000,000 workers were laid off temporarily during the disputes. January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Employees of the BBC form a picket line during a strike in May 2005. ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Alec Kitson, Executive Officer of the TGWU, sent this Telex to branch officers to warn them to allow emergency supplies through.

A further plan was drawn up to safeguard essential supplies through the Army and calling a state of emergency. The government warned the TGWU leadership of the plan, which resulted in the union accepting (January 12) a list of emergency supplies which were officially exempt from action. In practice, what counted as an emergency was left up to local officials of the TGWU to determine, and practice across the country varied according to the views of the local shop stewards who established 'Dispensation committees' to decide. When strikers in Kingston upon Hull did not allow the correct mix of animal feed through to local farms, the farmers dropped the bodies of dead piglets and chickens outside the union offices; the union contended that the farmer had actually wrung the chicken's necks to kill them, and the piglets had been killed when the sow rolled over and crushed them. Image File history File links A telex from the Transport and General Workers Union warns local officials to allow emergency goods through during the Winter of Discontent. ... Image File history File links A telex from the Transport and General Workers Union warns local officials to allow emergency goods through during the Winter of Discontent. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ...

On January 29, lorry drivers in the south west accepted a deal awarded by an arbitration panel of a rise of up to 20%, just £1 per week less than the union had been striking for; this settlement proved a model which was accepted throughout the country. January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

'Crisis? What crisis?'

James Callaghan tells the press that other people in the world do not believe there is mounting chaos. On Callaghan's left is Tom McNally.

On January 10, James Callaghan arrived back from a summit in Guadeloupe in the middle of the lorry drivers' strike. Having been tipped off that the press were present, his press secretary Tom McCaffrey advised him to say nothing and return immediately to work, but his political adviser Tom McNally thought that the image of Callaghan returning and declaring his intent to take control of the situation would be reassuring. Callaghan therefore decided to give a press conference at Heathrow airport. To McNally's dismay Callaghan was jocular and referred to having had a swim in the Caribbean during the summit. He was then asked (by a reporter from the Evening Standard) "What is your general approach, in view of the mounting chaos in the country at the moment?" and replied: Image File history File links James Callaghan, speaking at Heathrow Airport on January 10, 1979 gives an interview about the industrial situation which will inspire the headline in next mornings The Sun newspaper Crisis? What Crisis?. On Callaghans left is his Political Adviser Tom McNally. ... Image File history File links James Callaghan, speaking at Heathrow Airport on January 10, 1979 gives an interview about the industrial situation which will inspire the headline in next mornings The Sun newspaper Crisis? What Crisis?. On Callaghans left is his Political Adviser Tom McNally. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Thomas McNally (born 20 February 1943) was created a life peer as Baron McNally in 1995. ... London Heathrow Airport (IATA airport code: LHR, ICAO airport code: EGLL, and often simply Heathrow) is the United Kingdoms busiest and best-connected airport. ... Headlines of the Evening Standard on the day of London bombing on July 7, 2005, in Waterloo station The Evening Standard is a newspaper published in London. ...

"Well, that's a judgment that you are making. I promise you that if you look at it from outside, and perhaps you're taking rather a parochial view at the moment, I don't think that other people in the world would share the view that there is mounting chaos."

The next day's edition of The Sun featured the famous headline "Crisis? What crisis?" with a subheading "Rail, lorry, jobs chaos—and Jim blames press". For other uses, see Sun (disambiguation). ...

Public sector employees

Members of the Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE) demonstrate at a mass rally on the Day of Action on January 22.

With many in the private sector having achieved substantial rises, the public sector unions became increasingly concerned to keep pace in terms of pay, especially for those paid lowest. The government had already announced a slight weakening of the policy on January 16, which gave the unions cause for hope that they might win. Train drivers of ASLEF and the National Union of Railwaymen had already begun a series of 24-hour strikes, and the Royal College of Nursing conference on January 18 decided to ask that the pay of nurses be increased to the same comparative level as 1974, which would mean a 25% average rise. On January 22 the public sector unions held a "Day of Action", in which they held a 24-hour strike and marched to demand a £60 per week minimum wage. This was the biggest individual day of strike action since the general strike of 1926, and many workers stayed out indefinitely after that day. Image File history File links Members of the Confederation of Health Service Employees during the public sector workers Day of Action on January 22, 1979. ... Image File history File links Members of the Confederation of Health Service Employees during the public sector workers Day of Action on January 22, 1979. ... COHSE, the Confederation of Health Service Employees, was a United Kingdom trade union representing workers primarily in the National Health Service. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) is a British trade union. ... Overview The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a membership organisation with over 370,000 nurse members in the United Kingdom. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The UK General Strike of 1926 lasted nine days, from 3 May to 12 May 1926, and was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions for coal miners. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

COHSE members picket a hospital. This film was later used as part of a Conservative Party election broadcast.

With the succession of strikes having been called and then won, many groups of workers began to take unofficial action – often without the consent or support of the union leaderships. Ambulance drivers began to take strike action in mid-January, and in parts of the country (London, West Midlands, Cardiff, Glasgow and the west of Scotland) their action included refusing to attend 999 emergency calls. In these areas, the Army was drafted in to provide a skeleton service. Ancillary hospital staff also came out on strike. On January 30, the Secretary of State for Social Services David Ennals announced that 1,100 of 2,300 National Health Service hospitals were only treating emergencies, that practically no ambulance service was operating normally, and that the ancillary health service workers were deciding which cases merited treatment. Image File history File links Members of the Confederation of Health Service Employees picket a hospital during the Winter of Discontent. ... Image File history File links Members of the Confederation of Health Service Employees picket a hospital during the Winter of Discontent. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ... David Hedley Ennals, Baron Ennals of Norwich, PC, (born August 19, 1922) was a British politician and campaigner for human rights. ... The logo of the NHS for England and Wales. ...

Burying the dead

The most notorious action during the winter was the unofficial strike by gravediggers, members of the GMWU, working in Liverpool and Tameside. As coffins piled up, Liverpool City Council hired a factory in Speke to store them. On February 1 a persistent journalist asked the Medical Officer of Health for Liverpool, Dr Duncan Dolton, what would be done if the strike continued for months, Dolton speculated that burial at sea would be considered. Although his response was hypothetical, in the circumstances it caused great alarm. The gravediggers eventually settled for a 14% rise after a fortnight's strike. Liverpools skyline, as seen from the River Mersey. ... Tameside is a metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester in the north west of England. ... Speke is a district of Liverpool, England. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Refuse collectors

With many refuse collectors having been on strike since January 22, local authorities began to run out of space for storing waste and used local parks under their control. Westminster City Council used Leicester Square in the heart of London's West End for temporary storage, and there the rubbish continued to pile up, attracting rats, which were highlighted by the Evening Standard. The City of Westminster is a London borough and a city in its own right, situated to the west of the City of London and north of the River Thames. ... Leicester Square (pronounced Lester Square) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, United Kingdom. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Headlines of the Evening Standard on the day of London bombing on July 7, 2005, in Waterloo station The Evening Standard is a newspaper published in London. ...

Army crews at Windsor prepare to provide an emergency service to cover striking ambulance drivers.

On February 21 a settlement to the local authority workers' dispute was agreed whereby workers got an 11% rise, plus £1 per week, with the possibility of extra rises should a pay comparability study recommend them. Some left-wing local authorities, among them the London Borough of Camden, conceded the union demands in full (known as the 'Camden surplus') and then saw an investigation by the District Auditor which eventually ruled it a breach of fiduciary duty and therefore illegal. Camden Borough Councillors, among them Ken Livingstone, avoided surcharge of the costs of their illegal policy. Livingstone was Leader of the Greater London Council by the time the surcharge decision was made. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (896x566, 203 KB)Army ambulances assemble at Windsor on January 21, 1979, in preparation for providing a replacement ambulance service during the Winter of Discontent. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (896x566, 203 KB)Army ambulances assemble at Windsor on January 21, 1979, in preparation for providing a replacement ambulance service during the Winter of Discontent. ... Windsor (IPA: usually , but also ) is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, South East England. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The London Borough of Camden is an inner-London borough created in 1965 to replace the metropolitan boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, St Pancras. ... In many common law jurisdictions, fiduciary is a legal term used to describe a relationship between a person who occupies a particular position of trust, power or responsibility with respect to the rights, property or interests of another. ... Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born June 17, 1945), is a British local government leader. ... Arms of the Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. ...

Political developments

Strikes by essential services dismayed many senior Ministers in the Labour government who had been close to the trade union movement, who thought it unlikely that trade unionists would take such action. Among these was Prime Minister James Callaghan himself, who had built his political career on his connection to the trade union, and had practically founded one union (the Inland Revenue Staff Federation) himself. In 1969 Callaghan had led a cabinet revolt which led to the abandonment of a proposed reform of trade union law outlined in a White paper called 'In Place of Strife'; had this reform been implemented, most of the action during the Winter of Discontent would have been illegal. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... In Place of Strife was a British Government White paper, written in 1969. ...

The government continued to negotiate with the senior union leaders and on February 11 came to agreement on a proposal to be put to the TUC general council. On February 14 the general council agreed the concordat, which was published under the title 'The Economy, the Government, and Trade Union Responsibilities' (the significance of Valentines Day was remarked upon by the press). By this stage the degree of control which the Union executives had over their members was limited and strikes did not immediately cease, although they began to wind down from this point. In total in 1979, 29,474,000 working days were lost in industrial disputes, compared with 9,306,000 in 1978. February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Valentines Day postcard, c. ...

Political impact

The strikes appeared to have a profound effect on voting intention. According to Gallup, Labour had a lead of 5% over the Conservatives in November 1978, which turned to a Conservative lead of 7·5% in January 1979, and of 20% in February. On March 1, referendums on devolution to Scotland and Wales were held. That in Wales went strongly against devolution; that in Scotland produced a small majority in favour which did not reach the threshold set by Parliament of 40% of the electorate. The government's decision not to press ahead with devolution immediately led the Scottish National Party to withdraw support from the government and in a motion of no confidence on March 28 the government lost by 1 vote, precipitating a general election. See: Gallup poll (opinion poll) Gallup, New Mexico ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... The UK general election, 1979 was held on May 3, 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ...

The Sun's headline as seen in the Conservative Party election broadcast.

Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher had already outlined her proposals for restricting trade union power in a party political broadcast on January 17 in the middle of the lorry drivers' strike. During the election campaign the Conservative Party made extensive use of the disruption caused during the strike. One broadcast on April 23 began with the Sun's headline "Crisis? What Crisis?" being shown and read out by an increasingly desperate voiceover interspersed with film footage of piles of rubbish, closed factories, picketed hospitals and locked graveyards. The scale of the Conservatives' victory in the general election has often been ascribed to the effect of the strikes, and the party used film of the events of the winter in election campaigns for years to come. Image File history File links The Suns headline story from January 11, 1979 as seen in a Conservative Party election broadcast during the 1979 general election. ... Image File history File links The Suns headline story from January 11, 1979 as seen in a Conservative Party election broadcast during the 1979 general election. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... A party political broadcast is a short television or radio broadcast made by a political party. ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ...

Coining of the name

The use of the term 'winter of discontent' in an industrial relations context was first used by Robin Chater (now Secretary-General of the Federation of European Employers) as a headline in an issue of Incomes Data Report (1977). But its first use in a newspaper was in the London Evening Standard in late 1978. Standard sub-editor Chris Stevens used it as a headline on a story by political reporter Robert Carvel. The Federation of European Employers (FedEE) began as an informal network of progressive multinational companies in 1989. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

External links

• Labour faces vote of confidence (BBC On this day, December 14, 1978).
• 'No chaos here' declares Callaghan (BBC On this day, January 10, 1979)
• Public sector strike paralyses country (BBC On this day, January 22, 1979)
• The Winter of Discontent: An Introduction by D. Walton is a Marxist analysis of the strikes.

Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national public service broadcaster of the United Kingdom (see British television). ...

References

• Report of the Seventyseventh Annual Conference of the Labour Party, Blackpool, 1978 (ISBN 0861170350)
• The British General Election of 1979 by David Butler and Dennis Kavanagh (Macmillan, London, 1979) ISBN 0333269349
• Secret History: Winter of Discontent (Brook Lapping Productions for Channel Four, 1998)
• New Labour, Old Labour: The Wilson and Callaghan Governments 1974-79 ed. by Anthony Seldon (Routledge, London, 2004) ISBN 0415312817