The Impact of Propaganda on the Coal Strike in Britain
The Impact of Propaganda on the Coal Strike in Britain

The Impact of Propaganda on the Coal Strike in Britain

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  • Pages: 3 (727 words)
  • Published: July 12, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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The significance of the government's use of propaganda to end the strike early was crucial as Britain was quickly depleting its coal supplies. This led to other countries such as India manufacturing their own supplies which could have resulted in Britain losing its import market and consequently experiencing economic hardship. Fortunately, by April 1925, Baldwin restored Britain to the gold standard with the value of the pound being overvalued at $4.

The coal industry was in trouble, with exports being severely impacted by the 86c situation. In an attempt to address the issue, Baldwin decided to establish the Sir Herbert Samuel Commission, repeating a tactic used previously with the Sankey Report. However, the absence of any Labour movement representatives did not sit well with miners who were already familiar with such maneuvers. The miners were ste

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adfast in their demands for no cuts in wages or extension of hours, as well as maintaining the national agreement on wage bargaining. The government sought to end subsidies for the coal industry which would compel owners to reduce pay.

On Saturday May 1st 1926, a significant error was made by the MFGB. They gave the negotiation power to Citrine and the other hesitant members of the TUC, leading to communication issues. After returning to their districts, the miners' delegates left Cook alone in Russell Square. Despite the miners' knowledge that negotiating with employers was unlikely, the TUC officials ignored their advice. The miners were familiar with their own bosses, an understanding that the TUC lacked.

In addition, Cook was viewed patronizingly by the TUC. When he was elected to lead the MFGB, Fred Bramley, the TUC secretary, referred to him as

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"a raving, tearing Communist". J H Thomas also criticized the miners saying they were not proper trade unionists and did not care about the rest of the movement. The strike began in earnest on Sunday when Winston Churchill instigated the Daily Mail incident. He visited the editor who readily published an anti-union editorial.

The London print workers refused to print a particular content, which was fine with the state. This incident highlighted the supposed suppression of free speech. Churchill played an active role in editing a government paper known as the British Gazette throughout the strike. The paper's circulation grew from 500,000 on 5th May to 2.25 million by the 12th. During the General Strike, the BBC indiscriminately broadcasted false information as propaganda. However, neither the propaganda of the British Gazette nor that of the BBC affected the strikers significantly.

Despite being considered a significant achievement, the General Strike was ultimately quashed by TUC executives. The strike saw participation from approximately 1.5 to 2 million employees, which constituted a substantial portion of the overall workforce of 11.8 million individuals. Unfortunately, TUC leaders' choice to divide the industry into five distinct sectors - namely Transportation, Printing, and Iron/Steel/Chemicals - turned out to be a crucial error that enabled them to effectively undermine the strike.

(4) The construction category and (5) the Electricity and Gas category would be introduced gradually, one after the other, instead of overwhelming the system with everything on the first day. This caused confusion in areas where trades intersected, leading some workers to ignore TUC directives and adopt a 'come out if in doubt' policy. Despite this, the TUC's actions ultimately caused confusion and brought

an end to the strike.

As the strike drew to a close, there were still individuals who remained upset, resulting in heightened security measures. A 'Council of Action' or 'Strike Committee' emerged in each city, typically composed of Trades Council members, which issued permits for the transportation of food. Numerous roads were blockaded, and nearly all railway services ceased operations. The government attempted to maintain transportation by employing scab buses operated by Oxbridge students or members of the Plus Four Brigade (Plus Four - Minus Conscience). These buses featured barbed wire surrounding the engine and police escorts seated near the driver in an attempt to dissuade attacks.

The attempt of amateurs to run trains resulted in four deaths and 35 injuries. To avoid the devastating impact of the general strike on Britain, it was crucial for the government to use propaganda and bring it to an early end. The miners' strike led workers from other industries to join, causing a halt in goods production for export and significant financial losses. Although not ideal, the government's actions prevented tremendous suffering for Britain.

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