Steelworkers in struggle

This book uses oral history testimony from forty former steelworker trade unionists to examine the 1980 national steelworkers’ strike. The book argues that the strike was both the most significant event in the history of the British steel industry and a key turning point in the related histories of...

সম্পূর্ণ বিবরণ

সংরক্ষণ করুন:
গ্রন্থ-পঞ্জীর বিবরন
প্রধান লেখক: McGuire, Charlie
বিন্যাস: Online
ভাষা:ইংরেজি
প্রকাশিত: Manchester University Press 2025
বিষয়গুলি:
অনলাইন ব্যবহার করুন:ONIX_20250703T165612_9781526123213_3
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author McGuire, Charlie
author_browse McGuire, Charlie
author_facet McGuire, Charlie
author_sort McGuire, Charlie
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This book uses oral history testimony from forty former steelworker trade unionists to examine the 1980 national steelworkers’ strike. The book argues that the strike was both the most significant event in the history of the British steel industry and a key turning point in the related histories of deindustrialisation and neoliberalism in Britain. It occurred just eight months after the election of Margaret Thatcher, following a Tory campaign that had identified the defeat of trade unionism as the political order of the day. However, the government displayed uncertainty on how to proceed with this agenda; memories of past defeats at the hands of the unions remained fresh in the mind. The book argues that the steelworkers might have inflicted another such defeat on Thatcher if the steel unions had widened their demands to include jobs and the future of the industry. A victory on the issue of jobs and the future of the steel industry would have disrupted Thatcherism and halted the neoliberal attacks on trade unions and nationalised industries. However, the strike remained confined to pay and, in its aftermath, the steel industry was devastated by closures and redundancies. This paved the way for a succession of Thatcherite victories over labour throughout the 1980s, weakening the power of the unions and the interests of many working-class communities. But although the outcomes were bleak, for many who took part in it the strike was a positive event in their lives which inspired in them a greater, lasting commitment to achieving a better world.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1625022026-06-15T05:25:41Z Steelworkers in struggle McGuire, Charlie 1980s trade unionism Bill Sirs Britain in the 1980s deindustrialisation Iron and Steel Trades Confederation oral history picketing steel industry steelworkers strikes thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNX Industrial relations, occupational health and safety::KNXU Trade unions thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCF Labour / income economics thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day::3MP 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999 This book uses oral history testimony from forty former steelworker trade unionists to examine the 1980 national steelworkers’ strike. The book argues that the strike was both the most significant event in the history of the British steel industry and a key turning point in the related histories of deindustrialisation and neoliberalism in Britain. It occurred just eight months after the election of Margaret Thatcher, following a Tory campaign that had identified the defeat of trade unionism as the political order of the day. However, the government displayed uncertainty on how to proceed with this agenda; memories of past defeats at the hands of the unions remained fresh in the mind. The book argues that the steelworkers might have inflicted another such defeat on Thatcher if the steel unions had widened their demands to include jobs and the future of the industry. A victory on the issue of jobs and the future of the steel industry would have disrupted Thatcherism and halted the neoliberal attacks on trade unions and nationalised industries. However, the strike remained confined to pay and, in its aftermath, the steel industry was devastated by closures and redundancies. This paved the way for a succession of Thatcherite victories over labour throughout the 1980s, weakening the power of the unions and the interests of many working-class communities. But although the outcomes were bleak, for many who took part in it the strike was a positive event in their lives which inspired in them a greater, lasting commitment to achieving a better world. 2025-07-04T05:01:51Z 2025-07-04T05:01:51Z 2025-07-03T15:00:59Z 2025 book ONIX_20250703T165612_9781526123213_3 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/103926 9781526123213 9781526123206 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/162502 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/103926/1/9781526123213.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/103926/1/9781526123213.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/103926/1/9781526123213.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/103926/1/9781526123213.pdf Manchester University Press Manchester University Press 10.7765/9781526123213 10.7765/9781526123213 bcb4ab08-c525-4e6c-88e5-a0cf0a175533 Knowledge Unlatched (KU) 9781526123213 9781526123206 Knowledge Unlatched (KU) KU Select 2025 Manchester University Press 240 Manchester open access
spellingShingle 1980s trade unionism
Bill Sirs
Britain in the 1980s
deindustrialisation
Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
oral history
picketing
steel industry
steelworkers
strikes
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNX Industrial relations, occupational health and safety::KNXU Trade unions
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCF Labour / income economics
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day::3MP 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999
McGuire, Charlie
Steelworkers in struggle
title Steelworkers in struggle
title_full Steelworkers in struggle
title_fullStr Steelworkers in struggle
title_full_unstemmed Steelworkers in struggle
title_short Steelworkers in struggle
title_sort steelworkers in struggle
topic 1980s trade unionism
Bill Sirs
Britain in the 1980s
deindustrialisation
Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
oral history
picketing
steel industry
steelworkers
strikes
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNX Industrial relations, occupational health and safety::KNXU Trade unions
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCF Labour / income economics
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day::3MP 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999
topic_facet 1980s trade unionism
Bill Sirs
Britain in the 1980s
deindustrialisation
Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
oral history
picketing
steel industry
steelworkers
strikes
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNX Industrial relations, occupational health and safety::KNXU Trade unions
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCF Labour / income economics
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day::3MP 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999
url ONIX_20250703T165612_9781526123213_3
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