1955 Railway Strike

[locojoe]

When I was a young fireman at Enfield we ASLEF members came out on strike, The strike lasted about 2 weeks and the drivers got an increase in pay but firemen got very little or maybe nothing, After 55 years it's difficult to remember all the details.

British Pathe Newsreel about the strike.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=39389

[Anon Mouse]

Originally Posted by locojoe

When I was a young fireman at Enfield we ASLEF members came out on strike, The strike lasted about 2 weeks and the drivers got an increase in pay but firemen got very little or maybe nothing, After 55 years it's difficult to remember all the details.

British Pathe Newsreel about the strike.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=39389

I can't belive how biased this report is, lol its even worse than The Sun's style of reporting re Industrial Action. Very interesting all the same, shame on the crew that worked the Flying Scotsman!

[locojoe]

[QUOTE=Anon Mouse;40700 shame on the crew that worked the Flying Scotsman![/QUOTE]

Hi Anon Mouse not all footplatemen came out on strike as some were not ASLEF men and were members of the non striking NUR (National Union of Railwaymen) Having said that most NUR footplatemen came out with us. Any that did work were called scabs. I do believe that some higher grade manegerial staff worked some trains.(about time some of them got their hands dirty, not to mention them getting backache hehe)

[ccmmick]

Back in the 70s we had a series of strikes over flexible rostering it only lasted a few days but same as the 55 strike it brought the country to a standstill and also a lot of bitterness between work colleagues.

ccmmick.

[locojoe]

Hi ccmmick. So the problems between work colleagues have not changed that much over the years, do you still call strikebreakers scabs. Also which unions represent footplate staff nowadays..

[ccmmick]

Originally Posted by locojoe

Hi ccmmick. So the problems between work colleagues have not changed that much over the years, do you still call strikebreakers scabs. Also which unions represent footplate staff nowadays..

I can't speak for today but back at that time yes there was a lot of bitterness.
They are still called scabs and its not an overnight thing it goes on for years and years, men who were best mates changed overnight.
ASLEF NUR is now RMT and TSSA are still the three rail unions.
I don't know what would happen in todays railways if there was a strike i don't think it would last that long, today it's more like to be work to rule which should be done anyway.

ccmmick.

[Toddington Ted]

1955 was my birthday year so of course I have no personal recollection of the strike! However, one effect of the 1955 Railway Strike was felt at Toddington, Gloucestershire, now the HQ of the Glos Warks Railway. Toddington Station, since opening in 1906, had always been a centre for the collection of fruit for transportation by rail, mainly to London or the West Midlands. Being on the edge of the famous fruit growing Vale of Evesham this was to be expected. Indeed, Toddington was far more important for foodstuff carriage than passenger services. However, for the growers, the 1955 strike was the last straw(berry!) and, once the strike was over, the fruit never came back for rail delivery and always went by road, as it does now. This was just a small example of how industrial action can, perhaps unwittingly, completely decapitate a source of railway trade. After 1955, UK Governments would not be held to account by nationalised industries (strange really because they were nationalised!) and, by dint of various policies, we have seen those industries decline ever since (I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with this policy - it just happened). The most (in)famous head girl of my daughter's school was one such politician - she took on the might of the coal miners and won (well why start a mining strike in early spring and when all the stocks of coal at power stations were full?). People have very opinated views of "that woman", many unprintable, but she was more of a leader than any of the ingratiating little toads that are supposed to represent our interests in the world today. Popularity doesn't always get the job done.

[Anon Mouse]

As a lifelong Labour voter and Trade Unionist.......and a true red socialist I think its best I make no further input on the thread..............

[ccmmick]

Originally Posted by Anon Mouse

As a lifelong Labour voter and Trade Unionist.......and a true red socialist I think its best I make no further input on the thread..............

Yes you are right Anon enough said if people have any views on the matter i think it should be said in a PM .

ccmmick.

[locojoe]

A very interesting post Ted but I'm not that interested in discussing politics on the forum. All the best.