Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Wapping dispute
The Wapping dispute was a lengthy failed strike by print workers in London in 1986.
Print unions tried to block distribution of The Sunday Times, along with other newspapers in Rupert Murdoch's News International group, after production was shifted to a new plant in Wapping in January 1986.
At the new facility, modern computer facilities allowed journalists to input copy directly, rather than involving print union workers who used older "hot-metal" Linotype printing methods. All of the workers were dismissed. The failure of the strike was devastating for the print union workers, and it led both to a general decline in trade union influence in the UK, and to a widespread adoption of modern newspaper publishing practices.
Along with the miners' strike of 1984–85, the Wapping dispute was a significant defeat in the history of the British trade union movement. The 51-week miners' strike of 1984–85 was followed a year later by the 54-week "Wapping dispute" launched by newspaper printers in London. It resulted in a second major defeat for unions and another victory for Margaret Thatcher's union policies, especially her assurance that the police would defend the plants against pickets trying to shut them down. The target was Britain's largest privately-owned newspaper company, News International (parent of The Times and News of the World and others, all owned by Rupert Murdoch). He wanted to introduce technological innovations that would put 90% of the old-fashioned typesetters out of work. The company offered redundancy payments of £2,000 to £30,000 to each printer to quit their old jobs.[citation needed] The union rejected the offer and on 24 January 1986 its 6,000 members at Murdoch's papers went on strike. Meanwhile News International had built and clandestinely equipped a new printing plant in the London district of Wapping.
The principal print unions – the National Graphical Association (NGA), the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT 82) and the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW) – ran closed shops: only union members could be hired at the old Fleet Street plants; most were sons of members. [citation needed] The new plant in Wapping did not have a closed shop contract. The company activated its new plant with the assistance of another union, the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (EETPU). Most members of the National Union of Journalists moved to Wapping and NUJ Chapels continued to operate. The NUJ urged its member journalists not to work there and many NUJ members, known as "refuseniks", refused to go to Wapping. However, enough printers were employed – 670 in all – to produce the same number of newspapers that it took 6,800 employees to print at the old shop. The efficiency was obvious and frightened the union into holding out an entire year. Thousands of union pickets tried to block shipments out of the plant; they injured 574 policemen.[citation needed] There were 1,500 arrests. The pickets failed. The union tried an illegal secondary boycott and was fined in court, losing all of its assets.[citation needed] In the next two years Britain's national newspapers opened new plants and abandoned Fleet Street, adopting the new technology with far fewer employees. This is thought to have led to greater support for Thatcher among the press.
For years Fleet Street had been living with poor industrial relations, and the so-called "Spanish practices" – irregular or restrictive work practices – maintained by trade union officials had put limits on newspaper owners that they considered intolerable. On the other hand, the News International management team, led by Bill O'Neill, was seeking terms that the union considered unacceptable: flexible working, a no-strike clause, the adoption of new technology and the end of the closed shop.
Despite the widespread use of the offset litho printing process elsewhere, the Murdoch papers, in common with the rest of Fleet Street, continued to be produced by the labour-intensive hot-metal Linotype method, rather than being composed electronically. Eddy Shah's Messenger Group, in a long-running and bitter dispute at Warrington, also benefited from the Thatcher government's trade union legislation which allowed employers to de-recognise unions, enabling the Messenger Group to use an alternative workforce and new technology in newspaper production. Journalists could input copy directly, which reduced the need for labour in the print halls, cut costs and shortened production time dramatically.
Although individual journalists (many of whom were members of the National Union of Journalists) worked "behind the wire" for News International at Wapping, the NUJ opposed the move to Wapping and urged its members not to do so without proper negotiations. NUJ members who refused to work at Wapping became known during the dispute as "refuseniks". The NUJ was represented alongside the print unions in the negotiations with News International which eventually led to a monetary settlement.[clarification needed]
Hub AI
Wapping dispute AI simulator
(@Wapping dispute_simulator)
Wapping dispute
The Wapping dispute was a lengthy failed strike by print workers in London in 1986.
Print unions tried to block distribution of The Sunday Times, along with other newspapers in Rupert Murdoch's News International group, after production was shifted to a new plant in Wapping in January 1986.
At the new facility, modern computer facilities allowed journalists to input copy directly, rather than involving print union workers who used older "hot-metal" Linotype printing methods. All of the workers were dismissed. The failure of the strike was devastating for the print union workers, and it led both to a general decline in trade union influence in the UK, and to a widespread adoption of modern newspaper publishing practices.
Along with the miners' strike of 1984–85, the Wapping dispute was a significant defeat in the history of the British trade union movement. The 51-week miners' strike of 1984–85 was followed a year later by the 54-week "Wapping dispute" launched by newspaper printers in London. It resulted in a second major defeat for unions and another victory for Margaret Thatcher's union policies, especially her assurance that the police would defend the plants against pickets trying to shut them down. The target was Britain's largest privately-owned newspaper company, News International (parent of The Times and News of the World and others, all owned by Rupert Murdoch). He wanted to introduce technological innovations that would put 90% of the old-fashioned typesetters out of work. The company offered redundancy payments of £2,000 to £30,000 to each printer to quit their old jobs.[citation needed] The union rejected the offer and on 24 January 1986 its 6,000 members at Murdoch's papers went on strike. Meanwhile News International had built and clandestinely equipped a new printing plant in the London district of Wapping.
The principal print unions – the National Graphical Association (NGA), the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT 82) and the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW) – ran closed shops: only union members could be hired at the old Fleet Street plants; most were sons of members. [citation needed] The new plant in Wapping did not have a closed shop contract. The company activated its new plant with the assistance of another union, the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (EETPU). Most members of the National Union of Journalists moved to Wapping and NUJ Chapels continued to operate. The NUJ urged its member journalists not to work there and many NUJ members, known as "refuseniks", refused to go to Wapping. However, enough printers were employed – 670 in all – to produce the same number of newspapers that it took 6,800 employees to print at the old shop. The efficiency was obvious and frightened the union into holding out an entire year. Thousands of union pickets tried to block shipments out of the plant; they injured 574 policemen.[citation needed] There were 1,500 arrests. The pickets failed. The union tried an illegal secondary boycott and was fined in court, losing all of its assets.[citation needed] In the next two years Britain's national newspapers opened new plants and abandoned Fleet Street, adopting the new technology with far fewer employees. This is thought to have led to greater support for Thatcher among the press.
For years Fleet Street had been living with poor industrial relations, and the so-called "Spanish practices" – irregular or restrictive work practices – maintained by trade union officials had put limits on newspaper owners that they considered intolerable. On the other hand, the News International management team, led by Bill O'Neill, was seeking terms that the union considered unacceptable: flexible working, a no-strike clause, the adoption of new technology and the end of the closed shop.
Despite the widespread use of the offset litho printing process elsewhere, the Murdoch papers, in common with the rest of Fleet Street, continued to be produced by the labour-intensive hot-metal Linotype method, rather than being composed electronically. Eddy Shah's Messenger Group, in a long-running and bitter dispute at Warrington, also benefited from the Thatcher government's trade union legislation which allowed employers to de-recognise unions, enabling the Messenger Group to use an alternative workforce and new technology in newspaper production. Journalists could input copy directly, which reduced the need for labour in the print halls, cut costs and shortened production time dramatically.
Although individual journalists (many of whom were members of the National Union of Journalists) worked "behind the wire" for News International at Wapping, the NUJ opposed the move to Wapping and urged its members not to do so without proper negotiations. NUJ members who refused to work at Wapping became known during the dispute as "refuseniks". The NUJ was represented alongside the print unions in the negotiations with News International which eventually led to a monetary settlement.[clarification needed]