Winter of discontent | Strikes I Industrial action | Press reaction | 1979

'Afternoon plus' presenter and Journalist Mavis Nicholson speaks to three union leaders about the current public sector workers strike that is paralyzing the country - they feel that the press are treating them unfairly and the public do not fully understand the economic strain their members are under most of the time.
First time: 05/02/1979
If you would like to license a clip from this video please e mail:
[e-mail]
Quote: VT20768

[@joanne26]

i was only 14 at the time but i remember a lot about the Winter of Discontent. Rubbish piling up in Birmingham. No grave diggers, Green Goddess Fire Engines used by The Army as the Firemen had gone on strike.
I also remember ITV/THAMES TV going on strike during the second half of 79. No ITV for around 4 months if i remember correctly
But its great to see Mavis. She was a great journalist like so many of her generation were and she is still alive aged 90

[@MrGoneTroppo]

The public sector on strike - hard to imagine that kind of thing happening these days!

[@wombat1238marsupial]

1979 in May Thatcher would sweep the land in Election victory and swept the unions away as well.

[@LeighRichards27]

Where did you hear that? Trade unions are representing people across the uk every day on issues like unfair dismissal and safety and discrimination at work. In fact it was unions that just won drivers a shed load of rights from uber

[@wombat1238marsupial]

@@LeighRichards27 That was more to do with the interpretation of employment law. They were deemed to be employees and not self employed. The Supreme Court ruled in their favour. The Court got them their rights. Thatcher destroyed the ship, coal, steel, and motor unions as well as paved way for whole host of anti Union law. Ballots must now have a higher percentage of voters to prompt strike action unlike the shout of "all out" as was the case of past union strikes.

[@MarineAqua45]

@@LeighRichards27 Unions should only stick to employment issues & keep out of politics. Back then the hard-left were making demands on the government,which were unreasonable & unrealistic.

[@buddha1736]

We haven’t had a Labour Government since. 😉

[@toyotaprius79]

Controlled opposition, yes

[@buddha1736]

@@toyotaprius79 Agreed mate, also new labour were conservative.

[@MrDanielfff777]

@@buddha1736 they supported free markets and were anti union

[@LeighRichards27]

The wave of industrial action during this period was a monumental error by the unions, it helped pave the way for thatcher - a UK PM who tried to legislate trade unions out of existence and who believed in using mass unemployment as a political weapon. Thankfully she didnt succeed in her war on the organisations of ordinary working people and over 4 decades on from this programme trade unions are representing people across the uk every day on issues like unfair dismissal and safety and discrimination at work. In fact it was unions that just won drivers a shed load of rights from uber

[@MrDanielfff777]

Unions are not as strong as they was before

[@joannietrotter2344]

I remember The Winter Of Discontent. It was misery for us because my dad was a self employed brickie. The only ones who benefit from unions are those who run them. They do very very well from employee discourse.

[@johnking5174]

This was made by Thames Television for ITV. Thames would be the instigators of the infamous ITV strike of 1979, which kicked off at Thames Television involving the electrician unions, and spread to all of ITV by August 10th 1979 (apart from the Channel Islands region). And lasted until October 24th 1979. No commercial TV in the UK for three months (except the lucky ones on the Channel Islands).

[@christopherwilliams2093]

And there were the Thames strikes of 1984 (August 27th-September 3rd [LWT were on between 5.15pm on August 31st until closedown on Monday 3rd] and October 17th-November 2nd 1984). [LWT were on on 19th-21st, 26th-28th October and 2nd-4th November 1984].

[@johnking5174]

@@christopherwilliams2093 Well in 1984, Thames actually mounted a management run schedule from Monday 22nd October 1984 until Friday 2nd November 1984 (of course LWT provided their regular services).

[@christopherwilliams2093]

@@johnking5174 With no advertisements on Channel 4 in the London area during the management-run service.

[@jassmith1580]

RIP Terry Mallinson

[@silenthunteruk]

What happened to these unions?

[@loungejay8555]

The Thatcher government basically legislated away their power.

[@jasonayres]

Terry, Bob, and Charles (-or Charlie -).
🤔Striking similarities, wouldn't you say..?

[@MassiveLib]

They are back... Its winter 2022

[@perfmr2]

Media never changed then?

[@30dettjimvg]

Those communists really made their points didnt they.Now we have no industry whatsover,Up the worker ,Hey hey comrades.We were the laughing stock of Europe.Even a Carry on film was made about our union ruined factories.I still remember being ganged up on as an apprentice by work shy union members angry i had not taken sick leave & was making them look bad as they all used the allowed limit as extra holiday.What a shit shower & sad enditement of your average uk worker.

[@deanstanley5799]

Communists 😡

[@toyotaprius79]

When the Brits knew what was good for them...

[@MrDanielfff777]

They got destroyed by thatcherism 😊

[@richardtheeighth4431]

Read more...
Read more...
Read more...🤣🤣🤣

[@IcekPanNaPolin]

🤣

[@Bill-cv1xu]

👁👁

[@richardtheeighth4431]

@@IcekPanNaPolin
🤸‍♂️💫👍

[@richardtheeighth4431]

@@Bill-cv1xu
🤭🤜💥🤛

[@jasonayres]

Read more, read more, read..
Tell me, am I reading too much into this? 🧐