On this day, 6 March 1974, UK coal miners called off their four-week strike after accepting a 35% pay offer in a massive victory, which had already brought down the Conservative government.
The Conservatives had introduced regulation to limit pay increases to 7%, at a time when inflation was between 9 and 10%, and miners’ basic pay was unable to cover the cost of living without adding considerable overtime hours.
In November miners launched an overtime ban, after which the government implemented a three day week, restricting the functioning of industry and introducing rolling power cuts, in order to conserve coal to be able to withstand a potential strike. The government offered a pay increase of 16.5, but this was rejected by the miners.
When the National Union of Mineworkers launched a ballot for strike action, the Conservatives called a general election under the slogan “Who governs the country?” Meaning was that the government, or the unions.
After the strike began, the Conservatives then lost the election, and the pay board recommended a 29% pay increase. The new Labour government agreed to implement a deal equating to a 35% increase, and the strike ended. The Trades Union Congress promised the government that it would not support strikes by other workers to achieve similar pay increases, and that union leaders would use their influence to reduce workers’ pay demands.
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