Case Study - The Winter of Discontent
Business Management: IB Diploma, topic 2.6.2
The Winter of Discontent
The Winter of Discontent was the winter at the end of 1978 and the start of 1979. James Callaghan was the Labour Prime Minister at the time.
Trade Unions striking
- Trade Unions kept going on strike, demanding and often receiving wage rises of 10-30%.
Labour actions
- The Labour Party put a 5% limit on wage increases. Businesses paying more than a 5% increase would face fines or penalties.
Ford
- After a strike of several months, Ford workers accepted a wage rise of 17% in November 1978.
Lorry drivers
- Lorry drivers then went on strike in December, asking for wage rises of up to 40%. Petrol wasn't delivered to petrol stations anymore, so all petrol stations closed.
22nd January 1979
- On the 22nd January 1979, one of the largest days of striking happened, with lots of people in the public sector demanding 25% wages rises.
Gravediggers
- Gravediggers then went on strike for a fortnight, leaving bodies unburied in major cities. They went off strike for a 14% pay rise.
Margaret Thatcher
- In a modern context, Thatcher is disliked by many people. She banned some strikes and encouraged individual self-sufficiency. The context of 1979 makes some of her policies more comprehensible.
- Thatcher's Conservative party won the 1979 election.
Test yourself on Case Study - The Winter of Discontent
Which day saw the largest strike of the Winter of Discontent, shutting down large parts of many hospitals?
Who won the 1979 General Election?