Industrial Politics and the 1926 Mining Lockout: The Struggle for Dignity by Alan Campbell

by Keith Gildart

"The seven-month national mining lockout of 1926 was one of the most important industrial disputes of the twentieth century. It came to symbolize the defeat of the labour movement in the interwar years, casting a long shadow over industrial relations in the mining industry, and epitomizing the predicament of British miners in the early decades of the century. However, despite its impact on the lives of so many, the 1926 lockout has, unlike the General Strike, attracted relatively little scholarly interest." The Struggle for Dignity is the first detailed study of the dispute. It provides a comprehensive survey of the lockout at national, regional and local levels, utilizing archival sources and newly accessible documents. In addition to a full historical overview and chronology, individual chapters consider the contexts for the lockout, offer regional perspectives and examine themes such as gender and community, policing and public order, and the role of the Communist Party. The Struggle for Dignity is a significant contribution to British social and political history. It is an accessible, readable text which looks back at the roots of this titanic conflict and glances forward to its impact on nationalization and the miners' nemesis in 1984-5. It puts people back into history and will be of interest to students of history, politics, industrial relations, gender and community studies as well as the general reader.

Paperback

First published September 15, 2004