When unions killed the bill
In 1971, the Tories introduced landmark anti-worker legislation — but trade unions refused to obey and ultimately forced the government to b
“The new Industrial Relations Act was introduced in 1971. It required unions to register officially as legal entities, allowed the government to impose cooling-off periods and compulsory ballots during disputes, and permitted unions and their members to be sued if they engaged in ‘unfair practices’, such as enforcing closed shops, picketing other workplaces, and participating in sympathy strikes. To enforce the laws, a new Industrial Relations Court was created, which had the power to fine and even imprison workers.
“The Act provoked the ire of the trade union movement, which recognised it as an instrument to drive down working-class wages and attack democratic rights. In response, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) mobilised one of the biggest public demonstrations to date. On 12 January 1971, some 170,000 people were estimated to have turned out in London for the ‘Kill the Bill’ demonstration, marching from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square where leading trade unionists pledged to fight the legislation.
“Despite opposition from the Labour Party, the Act passed into law in March 1972. In an act of defiance, the TUC ordered its member unions against registering under the new laws on pain of expulsion. This was no small deal: it meant that many unions shouldered government fines and the smaller unions who obeyed the government were ejected from the TUC itself ...
“The TUC escalated its action, calling for a nationwide General Strike on 31 July 1972, set to be the first since 1926. The government buckled and was forced into a humiliating climbdown; the official solicitor of the National Industrial Relations Court intervened, saying the legislation needed to be reinterpreted.”
