First Labour Governmnet 1924

Picture of MP's First British Labour Government 1924

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Jim Connell - The Man Who Wrote "The Red Flag"

The Rebel Poet Who Gave The Workers Their Battle Hymn

Daily Worker Friday 2 February 1962

Thirty Three years ago yesterday, Jim Connell, thet man who wrote " The Red Flag," died at the age of 76.

For over 70 years that song has been the battle hymn of the British Socialist movement.

Multitudes in each generation have sung it, but comparatively few have known anything about the author.

Jim Connell was an Irishman, born in 1852 in the village of Killskyre in Co. Meath.

During his boyhood days the terrible living conditions in Ireland under British rule awakened the class-consciousness of young Jim, and he joined the Irish Fenian/Brotherhood before he reached adult age.

Irish freedom

When Michael Davitt, one of the great fighters for Irish freedom, was released from a seven year. jail sentence and began organising the Irish Land League in 1879, Connell was then an exile in Britain, but he became a member of the British executive committee for the League.

In England Jim Connell soon realised that the fight for national freedom had its place in the inter national struggle for Socialism. and he joined the Social Democratic Federation long before the Labour Party was formed.

In 1890 he stood as a Parliamentary candidate for the S.D.F. in a three-cornered fight with Tory and Liberal in a North London constituency. He later became a member of the Independent Labour Party.

Charming wit

He was a man of many parts and once described himself as having been a " sheep farmer, dock labourer, navvy, railway man, draper, journalist, and ' a lawyer of sorts.' “ But he also had the attributes of an artist—he was an ardent student of Shakespeare and a lover of nature.

I first met him in 1924 with Tom Mann, who invited me to join them at a pub named The Golden Cross, which then stood in the Strand opposite Charing Cross Station.

I was then under 30 years of age and always remember the deep impression of that first meeting with Jim Connell. He was a hefty man over 6ft tall and very picturesque in his style of dress—a black sombrero hat, a large bright red tie and a long black cloak. He looked like an old Shakespearean actor. He had an enormous moustache and a rather high-pitched voice.

When he spoke with his rich Gaelic brogue there could be no doubt that he was an Irishman. He was a great talker with a charming wit, but he had a fighting spirit which blazed forth, whenever we talked of the class struggle.

I met him several times in the company of Tom Mann, Tom Quelch and Nat Watkins and always enjoyed his company. When Tom Mann was there it was great fun, because he had the same exultant nature as Jim.

they chaffed and bantered each other to the delight of our own group and often to the amusement of others within earshot.

At one period in his life he got his living as a poacher and later wrote a book entitled " The Confessions of a Poacher." Once when I was in his company he slapped me on the back with gusto and complimented me on my organising work among the unemployed and then added: " But why don't you advise the unemployed to become poachers? There's plenty of good food to be grabbed on the big estates of the Lords and Dukes of Britain."

Many poems

He wrote many poems and lyrics which are now unobtainable, but the one that still survives is " The Red Flag." It was first published by the S.D.F. paper Justice in 1889 the year of the famous strike of the London dockers for the " tanner-an-hour " wage.

No doubt this event prompted its publication. But I think the original inspiration of Connell for writing the song was the international protest against the execution in America, on November 11. 1887, of four militant trade unionists who were leading a strike movement for the eight hour day.

Chicago Martyrs

They became known as " The Chicago Martyrs." As they stood on the gallows they each pro claimed their faith in the ultimate victory for the working class. One said: " The time will come when our silence in the grave will be more eloquent than our speeches."

I believe that it was this tragic event in international working class history, and the challenging spirit of the Chicago Martyrs. which inspired Jim Connell to write the defiant verses of " The Red Flag."

Wal Hannington

Daily Worker Friday 2 February 1962

Why he wrote it

In The Call (B.S.P. weekly) of 'May 6, 1920, there was an article by Tim Connell entitled " How I Wrote ' The Red Flag.' " He mentioned a series of great struggles which " got me into the mood which enabled me to write ' The Red Flag.' " The first was the fight of the Irish Land League, which roused the democrats of all countries and in which he was secretary of the Poplar branch.

The second was the struggle of the Russian revolutionaries. He was in the company of one of their great figures, Stepnyak, on the night the latter was accidentally killed at a level crossing.

Stepnyak's book " Underground Russia " had had a deeper effect on him than any religious revival, Connell wrote. The third was- the hanging of the Chicago anarchists, and particularly the speech of Mrs.Parsons, the widow of one of them, which Connell heard. And the fourth was the great dockers' strike of 1889, which " aroused the whole of England."

So Wal Hannington, in his splendid article (February 9) has hit the nail squarely on the head. Connell said that he wrote the first two verses and the chorus during a 15-minute train journey between Charing Cross and New Cross, and finished the rest that night.

Then he sent it to Harry Quelch, Editor of Justice. It was printed in the Christmas number, published on a Thursday, and the following Sunday the song was sung in both Liverpool and Glasgow.

Connell was very emphatic that it should be sung to the air of " The White Cockade," not of the old German church hymn, " calculated to remind people of their sins and frighten them into repentance." known also as " Maryland."

ANDREW ROTHSTEIN. London, N.6.

Daily Worker 13 February 1962

MEN WHO SANG "RED FLAG" IN BARRACKS 1929

Highlander located in Maidstone Prison

STORY OF REVOLT

At least one of the three Sutherland Highlanders sentenced to five years' imprisonment, following a mutiny among the troops in Jamaica, according to news which has just reached the Daily Worker is in Maidstone Gaol, Kent.

The exact place where the others are imprisoned is not yet known, but here is an opportunity for London workers to strengthen the campaign for the immediate release of these men.

It will be remembered that these four men received this vicious sentence about eighteen months ago at a court martial following a mutiny and the singing of the "Red Flag " in the barracks by the soldiers.

The Capitalist Press made a great show of the affair about six weeks ago, pointing to it as an example of how stern measures had to he enforced in order to maintain discipline.

The whole scandalous affair of the brutal sentence and the way news concerning the case was being suppressed bv the Capitalist Press was exclusively exposed in the " Workers' Life last August. The whole affair first came to light following the publication, in a Communist pit paper in Fife, of a letter from a soldier in the Sutherland Highlanders.

His regiment was stationed in Jamaica, in the West Indies, and his
letter stated that scandalous conditions for the men prevailed. Deep resentment was growing among the soldiers against the bad conditions, and this came to a head in the revolt .

In his letter Private Clark described the events which led up to the revolt. An N.C.O. and two officers entered the barrack room to arrest two soldiers for making a noise after 10 o'clock. The men, it is said, demanded the remedying of certain grievances, and had the complete support of the two hundred men -in the barrack room, who commenced to singing the " Red Flag." Eventually the revolt was crushed, the four men taken to the guard room and. Later, court martialed.

Daily Worker first Edition
January 1st 1930

JIM CONNELL FACTS

Born 27th March 1852 - Kilskyre, Meath, Ireland (five miles from Kells)

Died 8 February 1929 - Lewisham Hospital, London, england

Emigrated to London in 1875

His occupations included, Dock labourer, navvy, railwayman, draper, journalist and sheep farmer

finally, Secretary of the workers Legal friendly Society based in Chancery Lane, Central London

Keen Countryman, poacher, he was taught by the local Police constable his poaching skills, Connell wrote a book "Confessions of a Poacher" which sold 80,000 copies also another book "The truth about the Game Laws"

Connell disregarded the game laws. in his opinion wild animals could not be anybody's private prporty"

"I broke ev'ry law the land robbers made

And mocked at the strength they put forth"

Connell had a favourite Lurcher called "Nellie" and he stated in Labour's Whos who Recreation as "poaching". He was caught poaching twice fined £1 Croydon (Mr Gladstones at Addington) and woolwich 13s 6d

According to a Times article in 1922 "in the authors own words the spirit of revolt against injustice in every country had become a religion"

Jim Connell wrote the Red Flag on a fifteen minute night journey from Charring Cross Station to New Cross Station, In South East London. in the Times article 22 January 1922 he states "The fortnight before Christmasof 1889"

Just prior to the train journey Connell had attended a lecture by Herbert Borrows

"As I sat down in the train for New Cross something urged me to write a song embodying the spirit of that lecture" (Times)

One of Jim Connell's favourite Public houses was the Golden Cross in the Strand

Branch secretary of Poplar Land League

Red Flag first produced in SDF journal "Justice" 1 December 1889

The "Maryland" or "Die Tannenbeaun" version was published by Adolph Smith of Headingley in 1895

The "White Cockade" "which could be heard in the mud cabins all over Ireland in the "sixties" and before" " a tune to which Robert Burns had written "John Hielan Man" Times article

He lived at 408 New Cross Road, Lewisham, later Battersea Rise and later still at 22a Standon Park,Lewisham

Jim Connell joined the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) in June 1881 and was later a member of the Independent Labour Party

1890 Jim Connell was Socialist candidate for Finchley East

Connell received the red Star Medal for composing the Red Flag by decree from V.I.Lenin in 1922

Cremated Golders Green Crematorium an ashes scattered in garden of Remembrance

The White Cockade V (Maryland) Die Tannenbaum

"The Red Flag" has fine words, yet few people sing it now because the tune is so dreary. In fact. Tim Connell, about whom Hannington wrote the interesting article on February 9, intended " The Red Flag " to be sung to the lively tune called "The White Cockade."

But in the 1880s the use of British folk tunes for workers' songs was wellnigh unheard of, so the defiant verses got hitched to the draggy German tune of " Tannenbaum."

Music fashions have changed now, thank God, and it's time "The Red Flag" text was divorced from its unsuitable German mate and reunited with the grand springing tune that Connell had chosen for it.

Then you'd hear- it really sung, by young as well as old. And .it would be a pleasure, and not merely a duty, to sing it.

A. L. LLOYD. London, S.E.10.

Maryland' version

For nearly 40 years I have been conducting " The Red Flag " to the " Maryland " tune.

When energetically and not too slowly sung it is an inspiring song.

Unfortunately the tune " Maryland " has reactionary associations in Central Europe, so to sing it there is an affront.

By all means let us try singing the words to the original tune for which they were written.

But do not let us deride the" Maryland " version as a piece of useless junk; it is still sung by hundreds of thousands of people in the working-class movement.

How can we get a new song? The only new progressive songs that have caught on in Britain since the First World War are the C.N.D. songs "The H-Bomb's Thunder," words by John Brunner to a Moody and Sankey hymn tune, and " The Family of Man ' by Fred Dallas.

A competition for a new" song could not succeed unless we controlled B.B.C. and I.T.V. and could plug it. New songs should certainly be tried out at mass meetings. Perhaps one of then will catch on.

ALAN BUSH. Radlett. Herts.

Jim Connell Author of the Red Flag

Poscript

By Andrew Boyd

In 1963 the Workers' Musical Association thought it time to settle the argument about either Maryland (Tannenbaum) or The White Cockade being the proper air to which The Red Flag should be sung.

The association produced a record of The Red Flag, sung by the Glasgow Socialist Choir and the Young Communist League Singers to the tune of Maryland on the one side and to the tune of The White Cockade on the other.

Reviewing the record, on 19 January 1963, Fred Dallas, music critic of the Daily Worker, decided there was 'no question' which tune the Labour Movement should choose. The answer was Maryland simply because it is so much better sung. The Maryland version is sung so as to give each word its proper weight and the diction of the massed Glasgow Socialist and Young Communist League Singers is so impeccable that the whole point of the song comes over.

But The White Cockade version is taken at a tremendous lick, with the words emerging like mouth music, a meaningless gabble which passes in one ear and out the other.

Fred Dallas also observed that as soon The Red Flag was sung in Glasgow and in Liverpool in December 1889 it was no longer Jim Connell's property. It belonged to the Labour movement which had created both Connell and the song. The movement had therefore the right to sing The Red Flag to whatever was judged to be the better tune.

NOTE

The Red Flag was played for the first time on the BBC in 1936 as part of the BBC radio "Songs that made history" series despite the opposition of the British Empire Union (Times 26 September 1936)

Yuri Gagarin - A Communist in Space 1961

Gagarin For Peace & Socialsim 12 April 1961

Lansley OUR NHS is NOT For Sale

Estate Agents Cameron, Clegg & Lansley, held a viewing of prime residential property - St Thomas’ Hospital in London today (1 April 2011). UNISON, the UK’s largest union, organised the spoof sell off to expose the huge dangers lurking in the Tory’s Health and Social Care Bill.

The union is warning that Lansley’s vanity project poses a health risk to patients, to the NHS and to the nurses, midwives, hospital porters and medical secretaries who keep our health service running.

Paste in front of the first paragraph:

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

“Selling off the NHS is no joke – but that’s exactly what’s the Health and Social Care Bill paves the way for. Even the Tories are waking up to the toxic prescription that the Health and Social Care Bill really is for our NHS.

“Handing over £80 billion to GPs is a reckless gamble. Doctors don’t want it, and it will poison the relationship between patients and their GP. Who wants to be sitting across from their doctor wondering if the treatment they are prescribed is what they need, or what the GP can afford to pay for?

“And taking the private income cap off hospitals when they are being hit with cuts is a recipe for disaster. Patients who can pay will be the top priority. NHS patients will be pushed to the back of the queue – eroding the core principles our NHS was founded on.

“It’s time to take the Health and Social Care Bill to the mortuary - where it belongs.”

The hospital sell off stunt is part of a nationwide day of action against the Health Bill, and ahead of the union’s annual health conference. Taking part in Liverpool, the health conference brings together 1200 delegates, representing UNISON’s 460,000 health workers.

UNISON’s big opposition to the titanic Health and Social Care Bill

* Big cuts in health spending. These are being taken from patient care and leading to job losses – including clinical staff – across the NHS.

* Opening up the NHS to private profit. Taxpayers’ money destined for NHS patients will be diverted into shareholder profits.

* NHS patients will be pushed to the back of the queue because the proposed Bill will take the cap off the amount hospitals can earn from private patients.

* It means competition, not co-operation. The government wants to run the NHS through competition between different health providers and market forces.

* It will create a huge postcode lottery. The care patients can expect will vary from place to place, increasing costs and health inequalities and hurting vulnerable people the most. No-one voted for this.

* The NHS is working and public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all time high. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

William Bywater — a life-long ASE member

William Bywater — a life-long ASE member

The Web of English History

http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/trade-us/bywater.htm

Derek Bywater sent me the following information and the images of his great-great grandfather and the certificate. My thanks to him.

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Mr Derek Bywater says:—

William Bywater, his second wife, Charlotte, and their son, Henry.

William Bywater was a secretary in the ASE in 1850 and there is a very interesting blog on him Hayes peoples history. We have in our possession the presentation certificate [see below] and the wallet given to him when he retired in 1913. His father, Thomas Bywater, was a clothmaker in Woodhouse Leeds. He was born about 1810. William started his adult life as a blacksmith; he married and had two sons. When his wife died he moved to Bridgwater leaving his sons living with his father back in Leeds. William remarried and moved onto Nine Elms London where my grandfather {Henry, pictured above] was born. I do have all the history but some parts are missing I just wished my father had told me more. My father was a trade unionist as was I: I was in the NGA since I was a compositor by trade (now obsolete) more's the pity.

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The following information is from the Hayes Peoples Blog

Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Southall) 1913

At a meeting of Southall branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) (later Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) held at Northcote Arms, Southall smoking concert occasion presentation of an award of merit

Mr Cantwell Presided
Mr Donkinson Executive member
Mr Dumbleton Branch secretary

For a larger image, click here

Mr William Bywater related a life long experience in connection with trade unionism. His stewardship commenced in 1850 in the employ of the Railway Foundry at Leeds, where he was apprenticed as smith, twelve months before the forming of the Society of Engineers. It was from that foundry the first fast express engine, the Jenny Lind went out. At the time of such locomotive taking the iron road he listened to the discussions of the advocates of trade unionism. and subsequently became one of its earliest members. He considered himself one of the ideal trade unionists. His shop was one of the finest trade unionist shops of that day, some 62 years ago when he joined as trade unionist at the age of nearly 21 years. He stood before them as a man over 80.

He had fulfilled two secretaryships, first at Leeds and secondly at Bridgwater in 1874. He had been through all the battles of trade unionism. He played an important part in the boilermakers strike at Leeds in 1866, and at Bridgwater in later years. On each occasion his Executive Council enabled him to get the workers back to their employment. In those days he was a man who stuck up for his employer. He did so because the firms were in the right and his fellow-workers in the wrong. He considered the object of an ideal trade unionist was to support the party which was in the right, and this he did in his day by upholding the employers of labour, and on each occasion he received the support of his Society at head-quarters.

He thanked the Amalgamated Society of Engineers for having founded such an excellent excellent institution which provided him with ampler means of comfortable subsistence in old age and kept him out of the poor house. When old age was creeping on with weakened intellect and diminished strength he was in a position to thank god for the provision which his Society had secured .He appreciated the gifts presented to him

At the conclusion of his remarks Mr Bywater was greeted with the singing of “He’s a jolly good fellow”

A peculiar coincidence in connection with Mr Bywater is the fact that he was formerly a blacksmith and had three uncles who were blacksmiths and he himself was known as “Uncle” to the members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE)

In full appreciation of these facts the Chairman followed by singing the “Village blacksmith” the ringing and clanging being rhythmically taken up by the brothers in the Lodge.

The illuminated ASE address presented to Mr Bywater [see above] bore the following inscription:—

“Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Sectional Societies amalgamated 1857) present to Brother William Bywater of Southall branch by special resolution of the Executive Council for faithful services in the capacity of Branch secretary and other branch officers extending over 57 years.
Dated December 1913 Signed Robert Young, Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) General Secretary.

Still achieving, still pursuing Learn to labour and to wait”

Bristol Labour Election Leaflet 1933

Click to enlarge

Bristol Labour Election Leaflet 1933 - Arthur Cox
T.Jefferes, S.C. Pope, E.H. Parker

Ambulance Dispute - Hillingdon 1989-1990

Click on pictures tio enlarge

COHSE Hillingdon & District 618 Banner
Uxbridge Labour Party Banner

Hillingdon Hospital Accident & Emergency and Theatre Nurses

Note Cllr Simon Geldberg, Pete Marshall, COHSE, Wally Kennedy

Ambulance Dispute 1989-1990

Ambulance workers enjoyed unprecedented levels of public support during the six-month dispute as opinion polls found more than four out of five people consistently backed the unions.

Successive Gallup polls for the Daily Telegraph found even a majority of Conserative voters felt Health Secretary Kenneth Clarke should come up with more cash as he took the brunt of the blame for the disruption to patient services.

Electors said they would even be prepared to pay a little more income tax to fund a deal, while other health service staff, including nurses, disclosed that they would not demand an equal pay rise if ambulance crews and control room staff were awarded more than the going rate.

Such sympathy was evident daily by the millions of pounds that filled the buckets
thrust forward by the ubiquitous, fluorescent-jacketed ambulance staff that became as much a part of shopping centres as Boots and McDonalds.

TUC General Secretary Norman Willis told how would-be queue-jumpers were ordered to the back of the line while he waited patiently to add his name (no doubt again) to the record-breaking petition.

All good stuff for the unions but, of course, it was never ordained to be so, as prevous disputes involving NHS workers in the 1970s and early 1980s demonstrated.

This time round the five unions involved COHSE, NUPE, TGWU, NALGO and GMB — paved the way for their own success by breaking new ground with a slick public relations campaign that went further than any previously used by a workforce during a dispute.

The initiative was seized with a strategy that had its effect on the wider world of statements and actions worked out, instead of merely addressing the troops, and realised the importance of newspaper, radio and TV in getting a message across.

Once a groundswell of public opinion had been generated, every opportunity was taken to portray the crews and not the Government as the patient's friend and to hammer home a simple message.

Initiatives were repeatedly launched to make the running rather than merely provide reaction which, by staying one step ahead, often wrong-footed the Government and kept the Departmental of Health on the defensive for much of the time.

Frequent press conferences, a national demonstration, the petition, a quarter-hour of action and even a hunger strike kept the dispute in the public eye when it might have been forgotten.

The unity displayed by the five unions and the absence of what for the NHS used to be traditional in-fighting, rivalry and factionalism allowed a united front to be displayed which forced journalists to look towards the Government for splits and divisions.

In that vein, tasks were allocated to avoid repetition and confusion. NUPE's Roger Poole, the chief negotiator, became the public voice and was constantly in the media, modelling a new hair cut and a businessman's suit to look as well as sound the part.

Meanwhile, COHSE's Bob Abberley beavered away behind the scenes in Parliament to put crucial political pressure on Ministers which was as important.

Several years ago everyone would have been clamouring to appear on TV as they jockeyed for status and, no doubt, future members. Now a trio of those involved, COHSE, NUPE and NALGO, could end up merging — partly as a result of the demonstration that they can work together.

The two immediate goals of the dispute

— a substantial pay rise and new pay machinery — were constantly pressed home in simple, relevant terms by the unions, while other issues such as local bargaining and privatisation which the public would either not understand or have less sympathy with were left in the background.

Opinion polls showed that the ambulance worker-supporting public did not know what the Government's offer was or how the pay mechanism demanded would work. But what they did believe was that crews were worth more, and the new system would just about rule out future industrial action.

The employers, on the other hand, varied their official spokesman between Kenneth Clarke, NHS chief executive Duncan Nichol, and David Rennie, who chairs the employers' side on the Whitley Council negotiating body, with the result that apparent differences of opinion were interpreted as splits.

In many respects the unions' public relations campaign set a model for others to follow and established standards by which they will be judged in the future.

The strategy was not entirely new, although the effective use of the latest communications technology which meant Poole and Abberley could always be reached for an instant quote did break new ground.

After all. National Union of Railwaymen General Secretary Jimmy Knapp
projected himself very successfully last summer as the passengers' friend in the confrontation with BR over pay and bargaining rights by hammering home a simple message and making it relevant to the wider travelling public rather than limiting the dispute to the interests of his members.

And the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions hired a PR firm with close links to the labour movement to get their message across in the shorter working week campaign.

But the five national negotiators, dubbed the "famous five" for the way they often appeared together and even started wearing matching overcoats, took PR a significant step further.

The dispute was right for the tactics. Ambulance workers had a reasonable it not a good case and have a high public profile because of the life-and-death nature of the job. The timing of the dispute was also right in that the polls had already started to move against the Government, which the unions were able to capitalise on.

Flashing blue lights and 999 sirens provided excellent TV pictures in particular and the service has something of a glamorous image for outsiders.

Further, crews used to dealing with the public in high-pressure situations adapted
well to the glare of TV lights and, judging by the number of local stunts launched,
actually liked the media attention.

Running a similar campaign on behalf of other low-paid groups such as ancillary workers — however deserving — will not be as easy. But the lessons are there and should be learnt.

Splits and in-fighting in the union camp would have been reported. Violent picketing and clashes with the police would have made attention-grabbing TV pictures. Disputes will be covered in the form they occur. It's up to the unions how they want to run their campaigns, but if it's public opinion they want on their side, they could do worse than copy the ambulance workers.

Kevin Maguire is the Daily Telegraph labour correspondent.

He writes here in a personal capacity.

COHSE Journal May 1990

NOTES

In my experience, this was undoubtedly one of the best led strikes in the NHS, the ability to use the media and the discipline of local Ambulance union reps and members was key to winning and maintaining public support.

The hub of the dispute was undoubtedly London and West London in particular most notably Park Royal, Feltham, Twickenham and Hillingdon ambulance stations.

Crews in Birmingham, Merseyside and Dorset were also very strong

The tactic of slowly increasing pressure on employer (overtime bans, emergencies only etc) forced the management in frustration to effectively “lock out” ambulance staff by refusing to send any calls to these stations and bring in the Army.

The Crews responded by occupying the ambulance stations as they did at Hillingdon, the management being forced to issue injunctions, but with little effect.

Elsewhere, in the country, Ambulance management in many areas did not follow London’s tactics and the crews remained at work, allowing them to secure even more support and money for those “locked out”.

Nine weeks into the dispute the Health Service Journal reported that an estimated 27 out of 44 ambulance services were operating a 999 only service.

Kenneth Clarke’s remarks that ambulance workers were little more than “professional drivers” totally incensed the crews.

On January l3th 1990 75,000 attended a TUC national demonstration in support of the ambulance workers and on 30^th January a day of solidarity, when South London bus drivers came out on strike.

While the dispute was not a total success, the public was confident the unions had rightly won and gave a big fillip of confidence to NHS trade unionists.

Roger Poole was an excellent public speaker and with a CP background understood the need to keep both the public and the members on side. Bob Abberley became know as “Rogers bag carrier” and Jeanette Roe COHSE Regional Officer did Stirling work with Pete Marshall COHSE Regional Secretary in galvanising COHSE members in London.

As the ambulance service had been initially part of Local Government( London County Council) most staff in London were members of NUPE 70-80%. However COHSE had from 1964 built up a small but significant membership based around the leadership of Bill Dunn at Hanwell, West London (The other key COHSE branch being at Park Royal)

The Ambulance dispute started October 1989 – March 1990 and lasted six months

The Great Ambulance petition secured 4.5 million signatures

Pictures of the Ambulance dispute in Hillingdon (Marion Way NUPE Ambulance Steward) in Uxbridge town centre collectining signaturers, on the front line at Hillingdon ambulance station, lastly army ambulance at Hillingdon Hospital

The Ambulance Strike 1989-1990

In November 1989 Ambulance crews at Hillingdon, Heathrow and Pinner were suspended during the Ambulance pay dispute of 1989-1990.

They had refused to cover non-emergency calls as did 68 other London stations

All were suspended and police and army were brought in to cover both emergency and non-emergency

However, suspended ambulance crews continued to provide an emergency service with a dedicated phone line/ Including a plea from staff at mount Vernon to take a severely injured car crash victim to Charring Cross Hospital.

The first local Army ambulance was used in Pinner on November 13th

The staff maintained a vigil at Hillingdon Ambulance station as well as collecting signatures in Uxbridge town centre.

The Ambulance staff had huge public support and the campaign was well run by union leader Roger Poole of NUPE. The success of which helped in securing at least a partial victory on pay and a rare defeat for the Conservatives

Local Stewards
Marion Way (NUPE)
John Drewery (COHSE)