On 3 April Austin Currie made himself unpopular with a vast swathe of SDLP support by announcing that there was to be no amnesty for those still on the rent and rates strike which he had been instrumental in calling in the first place. He also announced an increase in the amount which was to be deducted from the strikers’ social welfare benefits and introduced a 25p-a-week collection charge by way of repayment.
