What can we learn from the defeat of the Industrial Relations Act 1971?

Capitalist commentators often refer to the 1970s as a kind of dark age, and accuse socialists of wanting to return to it. What they’re frightened of is the huge power of a working class that fought and often won during that decade.

One major victory was the defeat of the Tories’ 1971 Industrial Relations Act, an attempt to smash the power of shopfloor union reps. Unofficial strikes and mass resistance made the act unenforceable.

Why did workers have such power in the 1970s? Can that be replicated? What was behind the bosses’ attacks on their wages and conditions? And can the anti-union laws that shackle workers today be overcome?

This episode of Socialism looks at the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Industrial Relations Act: how workers beat anti-union laws.

Further reading

How militant trade unionism defeated the 1971 Industrial Relations Act: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32086/24-02-2021/how-militant-trade-unionism-defeated-the-1971-industrial-relations-act

On The Track: an account of trade union struggles at British Leyland: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=31445290

Workers' Control & Workers' Management: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=42068461

How to fight the anti-union laws (2015): https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/20994/01-07-2015/how-to-fight-the-anti-union-laws