1817 Manchester weavers set out to march on London for political reform. (Pelling, 20)

1819 In just one of many protest demonstrations, 18,000 workers in Paisley, Scotland walked out in a one-day demonstration to protest the massacre at Peterloo, in which eleven peaceful demonstrators were killed. (Dickson & Clarke, 38)

1820 In April, workers in Scotland walked out in a general strike, calling for “Equality of Rights (not of property).” (Dickson & Clarke, 37) late 1820-30s Spinners struck in conjunction with demands for government support for worker control over their own labour. They also issued numerous calls for a general strike. (Steinberg, 118)

1834 Workers in Derby from a variety of trades walked out to further the “transformation of society.” Their plans included a number of co-operative ventures. (Pelling, 30-1)

1834 Over 40,000 London workers marched through the city to protest the arrest and sentencing of agricultural labourers and to present a petition to Lord Melbourne at the Home Office. The petition protested discrimination against trade union members in the application of the law. Robert Owen, who proposed a more cooperative organization of society and the economy, headed the march. (Pelling, 32; Fraser, 18)

1834 Workers in Oldham held a general strike. (Fraser, 19) 1842 Workers in fifteen English and Welsh shires and eight Scottish counties held a general strike to insist on the Charter and a nine-hour day. (Benson, 128; Fraser, 21)

1864-5 Strikes in area around Liverpool and Birkenhead to protest unemployment and push for a nine-hour day to provide more employment. (Fraser, 60)

1871 Engineers across northeast England struck for a nine-hour day, which in turn inspired other workers to walk out for the same cause in a variety of other industries. Movement for a nine-hour day coalesced around the Nine-Hour League, which continued the struggle throughout the 1870s through strikes and advocacy for legislative reform. (Cronin, 86; Pelling, 77-8; Fraser, 60-1)

1872 London gas workers struck for shorter hours. When they were prosecuted under the Master and Servant Act for breaking their contract, the London workers community organized to reduce their sentences. The long term result of the case was an amendment to the law. (Pelling, 73)

1889 Eight hundred female factory workers in London struck unsuccessfully but eventually led to extension of the Factories and Workshops Act to wholesale clothing manufacturing. (Clegg et al, 183)

1889 Strikes among London gas and dockworkers for an eight-hour day and a minimum wage. Eight Hour movements spread across the country and into Scotland and Wales, 1889-90. (Pelling, 93-4, 97; Fraser, 78)

1891 London carpenters, joiners and bookbinders struck for an eight-hour day. (Clegg et al, 127)

1891 In London, nine thousand immigrants struck for the abolition of sweated outwork in the textile industry. (Clegg et al, 182-3)

1893 Three hundred thousand mineworkers struck for an eight-hour day. The strike resulted in the first government intervention into a labour dispute, in the form of a conciliation board. (Marks, 175-6)

1897-8 Seven million workdays lost when 47,500 workers from a variety of trades participated in a six month national strike for an eight hour day. (Clegg et al, 163; Pelling, 109-10)

1906 Five thousand textile workers in London’s east end struck to support claim for the end of outwork. (Clegg et al, 441)

1909-10 Miners struck to protest sections of the Miners’ Eight Hours Act, the wording of which allowed a great deal more than eight hours/day of work. (Pelling, 133; Fraser, 114; Clegg, II, 10-11)

1915 After government took control over war production, South Wales miners rejected a wage award by their conciliator and walked out illegally in protest of government intervention. Two days later, 200,000 miners walked out. The strike was settled when the government conceded most of the union’s demands. (Pelling, 153; Fraser, 129; Aris, 105)

1915 More than 84,000 workers centred in the Clyde region struck to protest the government’s no-strike legislation, and restrictions of worker mobility. (Aris, 101, 105-6)

1915 In the Clyde region, when 26 men were arrested for participating in a strike over a government restriction of worker mobility, many of the region’s workers walked out in protest. (Aris, 106) 1915 A number of small protest strikes around the country to protest government policy of “dilution,” putting semi-skilled workers into positions formerly held by skilled workers. (Fraser, 133) 

1916 Workers in Sheffield walked out for one week to protest conscription of exempted workers and employer discretion in determining exemptions. Workers in other munitions centers also walked out in support. The walkouts resulted in a change in government policy such that unions were then involved in determining exemptions. (Fraser, 138; Aris, 118-9)

1917 Strikes in Rochdale, Coventry, Sheffield, Luton, Derby, Birkenhead, Liverpool, Bristol, Southampton and London over the government’s decision to extend “dilution” policy to private industries and withdraw policy that allowed union determination of exemptions. Strike leaders were arrested. The dispute was resolved by a change in government policy and release of strike leaders. (Fraser, 139; Aris, 126-9)

1918 Ten thousand workers in Coventry and twelve thousand in Birmingham struck to protest industrial conscription. (Aris, 137)

1919 Approximately 6.6 million working days were lost in coal mining disputes to protest nationalization of the industry and to support democratic control of coalmining. Strike was ended with a Commission of Inquiry. Miners threatened further strike action if the Commission’s report was not coupled with a resolution to remove British troops to Russia. (Aris, 147, 153; Pelling, 162)

1919 Miners threaten to strike over conscription and income tax policies. (Aris, 153) 1919 Near-general strike in Belfast started over demobilization and hours of work with over 40,000 workers off the job. (Fraser, 146; Aris, 146)

1919 London Underground railway workers struck over implementation of eight-hour legislation. (Aris, 150)

1919 Railway workers walked out in a national strike over worker representation, and demobilization. (Pelling, 163; Aris, 148)

1921 Coal miners struck to protest decontrol of the industry and promote the creation of a National Wages Board and a National Pool to maintain wages across the country. (Aris, 172; Fraser, 153)

1926 A General Strike is called to support coal miners strike to protest lower wages. In addition to one million miners, an additional one and a half million additional workers were called out, including transport workers, printers, building workers, those in iron, steel, heavy chemical and power industries, and later shipbuilding and engineering workers. (Pelling, 173-80; Fraser, 165)

1930 South Wales miners struck to protest amendment to legislated hours in the coalmining industry. (Fraser, 174)

1941 Betteshanger miners prolonged their strike to protest imprisonment of their leaders. (Pelling, 274)

1967 Revision of the National Dock Labour Scheme prompted three years of unrest at ports around the country. (Fraser, 213; Pelling 271)

1968 Members of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers stopped work for one day to protest the new powers created in the Prices and Incomes Act. (Pelling, 272)

1972 One hundred and seventy thousand workers threatened a general strike over the imprisonment of five East London dockworkers. (Fraser, 224; Pelling, 286)

1973 Members of the Engineering Workers’ union held a series of nation-wide oneday strikes to protest the workings of the National Industrial Relations Court. (Pelling, 287)

1973 Coalminers strike and the politics of their leadership became an election issue, resulting in a change to a Labour government. (Fraser, 229; Pelling, 288-90)

1978-9 A series of strikes by auto, health, and transport workers through the autumn and winter to protest the government’s recommended pay norms. (Pelling, 297)

1980 Workers in various parts of the country held a “Day of Action” to protest the policies of the Thatcher government. (Pelling, 301)

1912 Bristol dockworkers struck in sympathy with London port workers (Pelling, 137)

1971 Autoworkers struck in sympathy with a local dispute at another auto manufacturing plant. (Fraser, 226)