The General Strike - Sphere emergency number

Front cover of The Sphere emergency number issued during the General Strike. Photograph shows mounted police controlling crowds at Elephant and Castle in South London. The road was cleared by a detatchment of mounted constables with drawn batons. The crowd soon dispersed when the police appeared and despite alarmist reports, there were no serious casualties. In support of a strike by coal miners over the issue of threatened wage cuts, the Trades Union Congress called a General Strike in early May 1926. The strike only involved certain key industrial sectors (docks, electricity, gas, railways) but, in the face of well-organised government emergency measures and lack of real public support, it collapsed after nine days

Batons Cleared Constables Controlling Cuts Issued Sphere Strikes Threatened Wage

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