The Winter of Discontent took place during 1978–79 in the United Kingdom. October 2020 starts very wet with Storm Alex, then continues moist. An August Deluge – Nearly 1/2” of rain in 10 minutes! The newspaper used the images at the end of a lengthy leader lamenting the state of affairs in Britain. Callaghan did not believe it would be effective in curtailing unofficial strikes, that the proposals could not pass, and the effort would create unnecessary tension between the government and the unions that were key to its political strength. While demonstrating to markets fiscal responsibility the government wished to avoid large increases in unemployment. Using the Central England Temperature (CET) series as an average for England and Wales, this winter ranks third coldest in the last 50 years and 10th coldest in the last 120 years. [61], After losing that election, Miliband was succeeded as Labour leader by Jeremy Corbyn, a surprise winner of the leadership election identified with the left wing of the party, who had been a NUPE activist before his election to Parliament in 1983, popular among younger voters. 1978 was the last time we saw a November providing less than 50 mm of rain. When you read about the winter of discontent in the UK, 1978-1979 is it any wonder why old people are wary of voting for UK Labour? On 29 January, lorry drivers in the South West accepted a deal awarded by an arbitration panel of a rise of up to 20 per cent, just £1 per week less than the union had been striking for; this settlement proved a model which was accepted throughout the country. [41] The GMWU at the time was also known as the most conservative and least militant of the public employee unions; frequently it had used its influence within the Labour Party to frustrate left-wing challenges to the leadership, and its officials rarely faced contested elections for their positions. The Conservative controlled Westminster City Council used Leicester Square in the heart of London's West End for piles of rubbish and, as the Evening Standard reported, this attracted rats. The first half of October 1974 was a half a degree colder than the second half of December 1974 and was colder overall than December 1974 [1] in terms of CET. Although it was mild and dry in the south, it was wet and often stormy in the north. [25], Meanwhile, the government's situation in the House of Commons was increasingly difficult; through by-elections it had lost its majority of three seats in 1976 and had been forced to put together a pact with the Liberal Party in 1977 in order to keep winning votes on legislation; the pact lapsed in July 1978. 1978 in British radio UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978. Union membership, particularly in the public sector, had grown more female and less white, and the growth of the public sector unions had not brought them a commensurate share of power within the TUC. When strikers in 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 farmers had actually wrung the chicken's necks to kill them, and the piglets had been killed when the sow rolled over and crushed them. She also called for the immediate enactment of reforms that "Stepping Stones", and before it In Place of Strife had proposed: a ban on secondary picketing of third-party businesses not targeted directly by a strike, ending closed shop contracts under which employers can only hire those already members of a union, requiring votes by secret ballot before strikes and in the elections of union officials, and securing no-strike agreements with public-sector unions that provided vital public services, such as police, fire, health care and utilities. [18], Within unions, power was also devolving to the rank and file. Be the first one to write a review. February 1979. Thatcher, and later other Conservatives like Boris Johnson, have continued to invoke the Winter of Discontent in election campaigns; it would be 18 years until another Labour government took power. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Durham Weather Forecast and Today’s Weather, November 2020 Monthly Weather Report – Mild and Dry. [40], Bitter winter weather returned after a week of milder temperatures on 22 January. Cold, snow, wind; enormous snow drifts, low visibilities: whiteout! Historical Events for the Year 1978. Douglas Smith of the Employment Department recalled years later that he only recalled certain breakfast cereals being out of stock, and Rodgers, too, agreed that the job losses had not been as severe as they seemed they would be. She traced those to the unions' broad abilities to picket and strike, allowing almost any of them to "strangle the country." The inflation rate continued to fall through 1977 and by 1978 the annual rate was below 10 per cent. Figures from the Met Office confirm that the UK winter has been the harshest in temperature since 1978-79 [53], During the 1997 general election, with the Tories the besieged incumbent party, Conservative campaign operatives began claiming that Labour, once back in power, would again take its direction from the TUC and repeal all the laws Thatcher had passed to curb the tactics unions had used in 1979. [6], New Prime Minister Edward Heath hoped that the new law would not only address the strike issue but the steep inflation plaguing the British economy (along with other industrial capitalist economies) at the time, eliminating the need for a separate incomes policy by having a moderating effect on pay increases demanded by unions. Many thought it did not go far enough, or avoided the issue of nationalisation. December 1978. The strikes were made official on 11 January by the TGWU and 12 January by the United Road Transport Union. Some of these industrial disputes caused great public inconvenience, exacerbated by the coldest winter for 16 years, in which severe storms isolated many remote areas of the country. The harsh winter of 1978-79. During the election campaign the Conservative Party made extensive use of the disruption caused during the strike. "These prosaic struggles of tanker drivers, gravediggers and dustmen also displayed the only power that workers can have; they withdrew their labour, with a force and to an extent that seriously challenged the organisation and structure of society." A winter season record of 52.9 inches of snow fell over the area and the average temperature during the winter was a record low of 14.1F. On 1 March, referendums on devolution to Scotland and Wales were held. March 1979. The last really severe winter of the 20th Century occurred in 1978/79, and although not as cold as 1963 or as snowy as 1947, it was memorable none the less. Once in power, the Conservatives, who under Thatcher's leadership had begun criticising the unions as too powerful, passed legislation, similar to that proposed in a Labour white paper a decade earlier, that barred many practices, such as secondary picketing, that had magnified the effects of the strikes. ", This page was last edited on 27 November 2020, at 00:58. It is often cited as one of the most severe blizzards in US history. The union's national leadership was, as they had anticipated in their September dinner with Callaghan, doubtful they could restrain the local leaders. The TUC voted overwhelmingly on 26 July to reject the limit and insist on a return to free collective bargaining as they were promised. Although it was mild and dry in the south, it was wet and often stormy in the north. 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 political upheavals of the late 1960s in Europe and the United States had brought participatory democracy to the fore, and workers felt they should be taking decisions, including about when and whether to strike, that had hitherto been the province of union leadership. Most unionists, she allowed, did not support such extreme tactics. A cold month overall, although not extraordinarily so (1.2C CET). November 1978. The media reported with scorn that cancer patients were being prevented from getting essential treatment. Holland called for returning to nationalisation, arguing that taking control of the top 25 companies that way would result in a market with more competition and less inflation. Lay your body down upon the midnight snow Feel the cold of winter in your hair. [35], Thatcher, Leader of the Opposition, had been calling for the government to declare a state of emergency to deal with the strike during the first week of January. Any later, they said, and they could not guarantee their memberships would remain on the job and off the picket line through the winter. Very warm until a northerly outbreak on the 24th. The first post can be seen here.. As shown in our previous post, the background to the strikes of 1978-9 had been several years of wage restraint under various phases of the Social Contract. [56] Red Pepper, in a page on its website devoted to refuting the Tory narrative of the 1970s, echoes this and further blames the Bank of England's loosening of credit restrictions during and after the Heath government as driving inflation so high, rather than union pay demands; it also attributes the economic rebound under Thatcher to the revenues from North Sea oil instead of her labour law reforms. Photographers wait for start of … The factors that provoked the widespread stoppage of work by thousands of British workers in the winter of 1978-79 began with the Labour government of James Callaghan's attempt to enforce limits on pay rises to curb inflation. Despite its massive impact on the UK the weather system of 1978-1979 still only wins a mid-table 6th place in our worst winters of all time list. 1978 was the last time we saw a November providing less than 50 mm of rain. He asked whether he should call an autumn election; with the exception of Scanlon they all urged him to call for one no later than November. The opening words of Shakespeare's Richard III, "Now is the winter of our discontent," were used to describe the profound industrial unrest that took place in 1978—9 in the UK. Although not as cold as 1962/63, the winter of 1978/79 still registered as the 28th coldest since records began – with the average temperature below zero. There were alternating snowy and mild spells in the south. [7], Two weeks later, the government responded by calling an election, running on the slogan "Who Governs Britain?". Dispatched with Royal Mail 2nd Class Large Letter. [5], After the Conservatives won the following year's election, they implemented their own legislation to address the issue. Sight & Sound Magazine Winter 1978/9. [17], Many new members were also coming from government jobs. Much of the south started the month snowbound after the blizzard of December 30-31st. It would later be recalled as "Misery Monday" by the media.[35]. "If that is the case, then I will go over the heads of the trade union leadership and appeal directly to their members—and the voters", the prime minister responded. It was -24.6C at Carnwath (Strathclyde) on the 13th (possibly 18th) – this was the lowest temperature in the UK in the 70s. Editor Larry Lamb met frequently with Thatcher's media advisor Gordon Reece to plan and refine strategy. Have we learned nothing from the Winter of Discontent? Callaghan was determined to keep inflation down to single figures, however trade union leaders warned the government that the 5 per cent limit was unachievable, and urged a more flexible approach with a range of settlements between 5 and 8 per cent. 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. "[62], Two years later, in The Independent, Sean O'Grady recalled his experience of that winter, as a child. Two Scottish trains near Stirling were stuck in the snow, leaving 300 passengers stranded; rail transport difficulties were exacerbated elsewhere in the country by a strike. Second Show... he was loaded yes, and that fits with the song! "He asked for it, I'm afraid, and he got it. durhamweather.co.uk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. One of López's own students in her classes at the University of Manchester identified the Winter of Discontent with the three-day week, which had actually been implemented during the 1974 miner's strike. The Economist reported that many predicted shortages of foods had not actually taken place. In February 1978 one of the worst blizzards for over 100 years affected the South West of England, and Devon was particularly badly hit. It is to say that they could mean a return to the Winter of Discontent of 1978 … [55], Some leftists have joined the criticism of labour actions during the Winter of Discontent. [44] Bolton later reported being "horrified" by the sensationalised reportage of the strike in the mass media. "I knew how the press was going to latch on to it," he said "and they totally underestimated the venom that headed our way." [4], The Trades Union Congress (TUC) vigorously opposed making Castle's recommendations law, and Callaghan, then Home Secretary, led a cabinet revolt which led to its abandonment. Should old people be more vocal about the horrors of a far left Labour government? The harsh winter of 1978-79. Good condition, with wear. In 1978, inflation finally fell below 10%. The recently elected prime minister Margaret Thatcher stated, “We've seen picketing that threatens to bring the country to its knees—emptying our shops, endangering our farms, closing our factories, taking our jobs.… Throughout most of the following month, the cold lingered, only for temperatures to rise well above 10 °C (50 °F) around Christmas. What does extreme weather mean for home insurance? This was the Winter of Discontent, 30 years ago, when strikes left the country paralysed. [11][16], Between 1966 and 1979, Britain's unions were changing and becoming more diverse. 1978 Rather Cold. It was ultimately rejected in favour of the Social Contract and extensive cuts in public spending as the condition of an International Monetary Fund loan that supported the pound. The start of a memorable winter: the Winter of Discontent was also often cold and snowy. A co-ordinated protest by left-wing Labour MPs over spending on defence forced the debate set for 7 December to be postponed; however on 13 December an anti-sanctions amendment was passed by 285 to 279. I have read a lot about that period when Britain was at its lowest ebb and almost fell to international guardianship because the economy was in total shambles. [63], "When deployed by the Right against the Left 'the 1970s' is a malleable field to which all the worst elements of the nation's past are consigned", Myers observed in Jacobin. "We learned hard lessons about this sort of thing in that exceptionally cold and harsh winter of 1978-79", he wrote. " Callaghan’s government sought to impose a 5% pay norm . According to Gallup, Labour had a lead of 5 percentage points over the Conservatives in November 1978, which turned to a Conservative lead of 7.5 percentage points in January 1979, and of 20 percentage points in February. Due to the disruption of fuel supplies, the Cabinet Office prepared to implement previous plans for "Operation Drumstick", by which the Army were put on standby to take over from the tanker drivers. The strikers also picketed the main ports. [28], The offer had the opposite effect. A winter season record of 52.9 inches of snow fell over the area and the average temperature during the winter was a record low of 14.1F. plus-circle Add Review. The opening words of Shakespeare's Richard III, "Now is the winter of our discontent," were used to describe the profound industrial unrest that took place in 1978—9 in the UK. At midday in Tynemouth the temperature was -3C with a wind of 50 mph. comment. Swinging their pocketbooks and umbrellas, they quickly drove away the striking lorry drivers, whom they outnumbered by twenty to one. "'Bound in by history': The Winter of Discontent in British politics, 1979–2004. 1 January – The otter becomes a protected species, ending hunting of it. Militant union rhetoric at the party's 2008 conference, Rachel Sylvester wrote, made it "a quaint but rather pointless vision of the past: Jurassic Park with an Abba soundtrack, a T-rex dressed in flares. Two photos of the frozen River Wear 1981/82 and 1895. [36], The next day's edition of The Sun headlined its story "Crisis? "[36] Callaghan would be closely associated with the phrase for the rest of his life. At the end of the year a road hauliers' strike began, coupled with a severe storm as 1979 began. 1978 Sears Christmas Book Christmas Catalogs & Holiday Wishbooks. Tanker drivers had also gone on strike in some areas from 18 December, causing some homeowners to have difficulties keeping their homes heated and limiting petrol supplies. [32] Before the situation developed into a crisis the oil companies settled on wage rises of around 15 per cent. [46], With many collectors having been on strike since 22 January, local authorities began to run out of space for storing waste and used local parks under their control. plus-circle Add Review. A storm surge hit Portland Bill on the 13th, cutting off the Bill for several hours, and giant waves carrying cars from the seafront car park. In their later memoirs, Callaghan and Healey both blamed NUPE for letting the strike go on as long as it did, as would Conservatives. The recently elected prime minister Margaret Thatcher stated, “We've seen picketing that threatens to bring the country to its knees—emptying our shops, endangering our farms, closing our factories, taking our jobs.… During the strike, Vauxhall Motors employees accepted an 8.5 per cent rise. December 2015 - Freakishly mild, but wild and wet. "[In 1979] Red Robbo paralyzed what was left of our car industry and the country went into an ecstasy of uselessness called the winter of discontent: women were forced to give birth by candle-light, Prime Minister's Questions was lit by paraffin lamp and Blue Peter was all about how to put newspaper in blankets for extra insulation. [41], Those unions had never gone on strike before, Lowes recalled in 2006, and he had not expected that permission to be granted. 1978/79 More than a decade after the ‘Big Freeze’ came another dreadful winter. The ensuing strike, in Liverpool and in Tameside near Manchester, was later frequently referred to by Conservative politicians. [27] The Road Haulage Association (RHA), the industry trade group, had initially told Secretary of State for Transport William Rodgers, a member of the Labour Party's right wing who had become sceptical of the public's appetite for the completion of the party's socialist programme, that it would stay within the 5 per cent ceiling. Crosland had argued in his book The Future of Socialism that the government exerted enough control over private industry that it was not necessary to nationalise it as the party had long called to do, and that the ultimate goals of socialism could be as readily achieved by assuring long-term economic stability and building out the social welfare state. [3], The left wing of the Labour Party, while critical of the revisionist approach and the Social Contract, was not universally supportive of the AES either. [3], In 1968 Wilson's government appointed the Donovan Commission to review British labour law with an eye toward reducing the days lost to strikes every year; many Britons had come to believe the unions were too powerful despite the country's economic growth since the war. Tri-Staters endured the worst blizzard in recorded history and a record month of snow in January, 1978. More than a million UK workers were laid off temporarily during the disputes. 1978/9 FROZEN IN TIME Motorists try to clear a path in York Road Leeds. The unrest had deeper causes besides resentment of the caps on pay rises. Callaghan therefore decided to give a press conference at Heathrow Airport. [n 3] By this stage union executives had limited control over their members and strikes did not immediately cease, although they began to wind down from this point. Geoffrey Goodman disagreed, saying in his view it would be impossible for the union leaders to keep their membership from demanding higher pay increases. The winter of 1978-1979 will long be remembered for not only heavy snow, but bitterly cold temperatures. The data shows that Scotland suffered the most this winter, with the provisional mean temperature 0.24C ‑ only slightly higher than 1978-79, when the figure was 0.16C. [51] Similarly disillusioned, especially after a GMWU official assured him "we'll call the shots" after the winter ended, Tom McNally, Callaghan's advisor who had recommended the news conference that produced The Sun''s "Crisis? A mild autumn turned cold on the morning of 25 November when temperatures recorded at Heathrow Airport dropped from 14 °C (57 °F) to 0 °C (32 °F) overnight, with some snowflakes. [57], Cohen also saw the Winter as having offended the ruling class through its demonstration of working-class power. The crisis that our country faces is too serious for that. 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