9 In conclusion
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John Shepherd
Abstract
On 6 January 1979, the New York Times carried the headline 'Britain will sell fighters to China, James Callaghan says at summit meeting'. The British Prime Minister had left behind the growing industrial strife of the 'winter of discontent', on which the US media remained understandably mainly silent. Norrister's perceptive reporting for the Washington Post highlighted several key aspects of the causes and much of the character of the British 'winter of discontent'. Moreover, the public sector strikes amounted to more of a "peasants' revolt" than normal industrial stoppages. Another view of the British 'winter of discontent' was provided from the other side of the world, Australia. In 1978, Ralph Willis made a fact finding visit to Britain to discuss industrial relations policies with members of the Callaghan government and senior trade union leaders.
Abstract
On 6 January 1979, the New York Times carried the headline 'Britain will sell fighters to China, James Callaghan says at summit meeting'. The British Prime Minister had left behind the growing industrial strife of the 'winter of discontent', on which the US media remained understandably mainly silent. Norrister's perceptive reporting for the Washington Post highlighted several key aspects of the causes and much of the character of the British 'winter of discontent'. Moreover, the public sector strikes amounted to more of a "peasants' revolt" than normal industrial stoppages. Another view of the British 'winter of discontent' was provided from the other side of the world, Australia. In 1978, Ralph Willis made a fact finding visit to Britain to discuss industrial relations policies with members of the Callaghan government and senior trade union leaders.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of illustrations viii
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of abbreviations xii
- 1 The 1970s 1
- 2 Election deferred and the collapse of the social contract 18
- 3 The Ford strike, 1978 38
- 4 The oil tanker drivers’ dispute and the road hauliers’ strike 59
- 5 Public sector strikes 82
- 6 Media coverage 108
- 7 The Conservative Party and the ‘winter of discontent’ 130
- 8 Political aftermath 147
- 9 In conclusion 168
- ‘Winter of discontent’, 1978–79 176
- Bibliography 179
- Index 196
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of illustrations viii
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of abbreviations xii
- 1 The 1970s 1
- 2 Election deferred and the collapse of the social contract 18
- 3 The Ford strike, 1978 38
- 4 The oil tanker drivers’ dispute and the road hauliers’ strike 59
- 5 Public sector strikes 82
- 6 Media coverage 108
- 7 The Conservative Party and the ‘winter of discontent’ 130
- 8 Political aftermath 147
- 9 In conclusion 168
- ‘Winter of discontent’, 1978–79 176
- Bibliography 179
- Index 196
