General Strike Day 8: Tuesday 11 May 1926
[Photograph of the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin (on the right), from a General Strike photograph albumLink opens in a new window]
One Week of Stubborn Resistance to Wrong is Past. Let Us Face the Second With Equal Fortitude, and VICTORY IS OURS!
The Scottish WorkerLink opens in a new window, 11 May 1926
- The strike spreads, as the Trades Union Congress instructs all engineering and shipbuilding workers not yet on strike to stop work at midnight.
- Mr Justice Astbury gives a ruling on the application by the leadership of the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union for an injunction to prevent union branches from joining the general strike. He states that the general strike is illegal and that trade union funds may not legally be used to pay strike pay.
- The Trades Union Congress Negotiating Committee put the final draft of the Samuel Memorandum before the General Council, who accept it. The Executive of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain reject the draft memorandum as it includes wage cuts.
- The Trades Union Congress ask to meet with the Prime Minister.
- Rumours circulate that the government intend to arrest the Trades Union Congress General Council and other strike leaders.
- 'The Daily MailLink opens in a new window' calls for the Trades Union Congress to be abolished and claims that there are 500 Soviet agents active in Britain who should be 'cleared out'.
- The BBC finally broadcasts information about the Archbishop of Canterbury's proposed settlementLink opens in a new window. Radio news broadcasts also include details of heavy sentences imposed by the courts on people who have committed acts of public disorder or who have been convicted of spreading inaccurate or 'seditious' information.
- A Newcastle edition of the Trades Union Congress newspaper 'The British Worker'Link opens in a new window is published.
Selected sources:
- Summaries of BBC news broadcasts:
- 'The British Gazette', no.6, emergency newspaper issued by the government - version 1Link opens in a new window (with some content copied from editions of no.5) and version 2Link opens in a new window (3am edition containing all new material)
- 'The British Worker', no.7Link opens in a new window, official strike news bulletin of the Trades Union Congress
- 'The Scottish Worker', no.2Link opens in a new window, official strike news bulletin of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
- Trades Union Congress General Council official bulletin, no.8 - version 1Link opens in a new window and version 2Link opens in a new window
- Trades Union Congress Intelligence Committee general survey of the strike positionLink opens in a new window (morning)
- Trades Union Congress Intelligence Committee 'Intelligence Service' bulletin, no.9Link opens in a new window, 12pm
- Trades Union Congress Intelligence Committee progress of the strike report, no.7Link opens in a new window, 4pm
- 'Daily Graphic'Link opens in a new window, illustrated emergency bulletin
- 'Daily Mirror'Link opens in a new window, illustrated emergency bulletin
- 'Evening News'Link opens in a new window, emergency bulletin