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==Background==

==Background==

The "discontent" of British workers had been building for several years; [[inflation]] had reached 26.9% in August 1975, and the incumbent [[Labour Party|Labour]] government under [[Prime Minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] introduced a "cap" on pay increases for workers at limits set by the government, and far below the rate of inflation. For workers earning under £8,500 ($17,000) a year the maximum pay increase could not exceed £6 ($12) per week.

The "discontent" of British workers had been building for several years; [[inflation]] had reached 26.9% in August 1975, and the incumbent [[Labour Party|Labour]] government under [[Prime Minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] introduced a "cap" on pay increases for workers at limits set by the government, and far below the rate of inflation. For workers earning under £8,500 ($17,000) a year the maximum pay increase could not exceed £6 ($12) per week. By 1978, inflation had almost halved, but the government refused to remove the caps, fixing the maximum pay increase at 5%. However, at the end of 1977, [[firefighter]]s had gone on strike and, despite being forced back to work (the strike had ended violently, with the firefighters even attacking their own Union officials whom they felt had betrayed them), achieved a 10% increase, followed in early 1978 by further concessions from the government, giving them an increase in real terms of 20%. Furthermore, their salaries became index linked against inflation, a privilege which had previously only been accorded to the Army Chiefs, police and judges, as a compensation for not being allowed to strike. The firefighters had however still retained the right to strike. Told that ''their'' rises would still be capped at 5% the remainder of the already disgruntled workforce took notice of how the firefighters had been successful in  "defeat" and began to see how weak the government had become when challenged by direct action.<ref>''The Winter of Discontent'' "History and Class Consciousness in the U.K." (2002) [http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davewalton/archive/local/winterofdiscontent.html Revolt Against an Age of Plenty]. Accessed 1 February 2008</ref>

==References==

==References==

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