Nerve 17 - 1911 Transport Strike Calendar

1911 Transport Strike Calendar - August 2011

The 'Monster demonstration' at St George's Plateau on 13 August (picture from Bluecoat Press)

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1 Stanhope Street meeting for uniting all brewery workers in one union ('trade union ale')	2 Transport Workers Federation organises large meeting of Garston dockers	3 'White Book’ agreement between shipowners and unions signed, effective immediately	4 Tugboatmen win wage increase following last month's strike	5 1,200 Lancs and Yorks rail goods porters strike at North Docks depot and picket other stations	6 Mass meeting of tram workers at Litherland tram station	7 Brunswick Dock goods porters (Cheshire Lines) strike. Pickets stop goods at Lime Street
8 3,500 now on strike at goods stations. Carters and shunters refuse to cross picket lines	9 Engine-drivers refuse to take imported scabs to North Docks station. Birkenhead goods yards closed	10 400 troops arrive Seaforth barracks. Extra police arrive from Leeds and Birmingham	11 Many shop assistants told to take a week's holiday. St John’s Gardens occupied by police	12 Board of Trade official arrives Liverpool to consult with Lord Mayor	13 Bloody Sunday: 80,000-strong demonstration attacked by police on St George's Plateau	14 Lockout of all cargo work on docks. Strike committee declares general transport strike from next day
15 Five prison vans attacked. Soldiers shoot dead Michael Prendergast and John Sutcliffe	16 Rail union officials go from Liverpool meeting to London. Strike committee calls out tram workers from midnight	17 Rail unions meet at Board of Trade, reject offer of Royal Commission and call national rail strike	18 Rail talks continue. Striking tram workers parade. Electric lighting in city goes out. No street-cleaning	19 Rail company owners join talks. Rail strike settled with reinstatement and Railway Commission	20 Funeral of Michael Prendergast (shot on 15th) at Catholic cemetery. 250 Protestants attend	21 Strike Committee calls for no return to work until tram workers reinstated
22 Railwaymen return to work. Tom Mann tells meeting: "we are on the eve of a complete and glorious victory."	23 Rally to support tram workers. Tom Mann goes to London to call for strike in support	24 City Council agrees to reinstate tram workers 'as and when required'. Strike declared over	25 Shipowners meeting with unions. Mass meeting in Bootle agrees return to work	26 General return to work. 180 tram workers reinstated. First troops withdraw	27 HMS Antrim leaves Mersey, more troops leave the city	28 More tram workers reinstated (not all). Railway Commission opens
29 Newsboys strike	30 Magistrates told Riot Act was read ten times and 4,142 special constables enrolled for strike-breaking	31 Inquests on Michael Prendergast and John Sutcliffe (shot by soldiers). Verdict: 'justifiable homicide'	First edition of Transport Workers’ paper (8th)
HMS Antrim on the Mersey (18th to 27th)				Also in this month... Strike Committee issues permits for transport of essential goods Police insist that the film of Bloody Sunday be edited to remove their attacks on the crowd (14th) 'Don't Shoot' leaflet of stonemason Fred Bower urges soldiers not to fire on striking workers

Printer friendly page