Black Friday (1921) facts for kids

Black Friday, in British history for workers, refers to 15 April 1921. On this day, the leaders of transport and railway worker groups decided not to call for a strike. They were supposed to strike to support coal miners who were facing big pay cuts. People called it 'black' because many workers felt this decision was a betrayal and a broken promise to stand together.

Because of Black Friday, the 1921 United Kingdom census, which was a count of everyone in the country, had to be moved. It was planned for 24 April but was pushed back to June.

Working Together: The Triple Alliance

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, different groups of workers, called trade unions, started to join forces. They wanted to be stronger by working together. Their goal was to take united action when needed.

In 1910, the National Transport Workers' Federation was created. It helped coordinate actions for workers like dockers, sailors, and tram drivers. Then, in 1912, the National Union of Railwaymen was formed. It brought together many smaller groups of railway workers.

Finally, in 1914, these two unions joined with the Miners' Federation of Great Britain. Together, they formed a powerful group called the Triple Alliance. Even though their agreements weren't legally binding, the Alliance was seen as a way for these large and powerful worker groups to act as one.

The Mining Crisis in March 1921

After the First World War, many workers felt worried. They feared their pay would be cut because of a tough economic time. The Triple Alliance was seen as a way to protect workers from these pay cuts.

Things were a bit complicated because the coal industry and railways had been controlled by the government during the war. They were not immediately given back to private owners. The government at the time, led by David Lloyd George, didn't want to cut wages. This would cause a strike against the government itself, which would have big political problems. So, pay cuts for miners were put off until the government stopped controlling the industry on 31 March 1921. When that day came, miners who refused to accept the lower pay were locked out of their jobs. This meant they couldn't work.

The Decision Not to Strike

After the pay cuts were put in place, many people expected the transport and railway unions to go on strike to support the miners. However, on 15 April, the leaders of the National Transport Workers' Federation (NTWF) and the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) made a big announcement. They said they would not recommend a strike.

One reason the union leaders gave was that the miners' own representatives had said things that suggested they weren't ready to strike against the pay cuts themselves. More generally, the transport and railway union leaders accused the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) of expecting help from other unions. But, they said, the miners refused to let those unions be part of the talks about the problem. The main seamen's union, the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union, even held a vote. The idea of striking was defeated by 59 votes.

What Happened Next

Even though there wasn't a full strike, transport and railway workers were told not to handle coal that came from other countries. Some workers were not happy with this limited action. For example, in Glasgow, the Scottish Union of Dock Labourers went against the Transport Workers' Federation's policy. They called their members out on strike on 7 May.

On the same day, pay cuts were put on merchant seamen. This led to a well-supported general strike at the docks, which lasted for over a month. Transport and railway leaders were widely criticized for their actions. J. H. Thomas of the NUR and Robert Williams of the NTWF received a lot of criticism.

For their part, the union leaders explained their difficulties. It was hard to fight wage cuts when many people were unemployed. They also said there wasn't much support for a sympathy strike among regular dockers and railwaymen. They argued that involving more workers would only lead to pointless sacrifices for them. Robert Williams was later removed from the Communist Party because of this.

In 1925, the government agreed to give money to the mining industry for a short time. This was to avoid wage cuts. The day this decision was announced became known as Red Friday. It was named this way to be the opposite of Black Friday.