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12 November 1956: Liverpool dockers boycott
Published 3 days, 2 hours ago
Description
On this day, 12 November 1956, 70 Liverpool dock workers refused to load a Soviet ship, the Riazan, in protest against the USSR’s repression of the Hungarian uprising, which had begun a few weeks previously and saw workers' councils spread throughout the country demanding socialism with workers' control.
The Liverpool dockers were asked again the following morning to load the ship with its cargo of rubber, and workers were told by their union that by not loading the ship they were in breach of their contract, but still they refused.
PJ O’Hare, docks and district secretary of the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU), explained: “These ships are like the plague to the men.”
The Riazan was due to be loaded with hundreds of tons of rubber, but eventually left Liverpool empty a few days later.
The same day as the initial action by Liverpool dockers, Scottish mineworkers passed a resolution to send £1000 in relief to Hungary, including in the resolution a condemnation of “the aggression of the Soviet Union in Hungary.”
The action by Liverpool dockers was subsequently followed by similar action on another Russian ship by dockers in Hull.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/13009/Liverpool-dockers-solidarity-with-Hungarian-revolution
Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
The Liverpool dockers were asked again the following morning to load the ship with its cargo of rubber, and workers were told by their union that by not loading the ship they were in breach of their contract, but still they refused.
PJ O’Hare, docks and district secretary of the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU), explained: “These ships are like the plague to the men.”
The Riazan was due to be loaded with hundreds of tons of rubber, but eventually left Liverpool empty a few days later.
The same day as the initial action by Liverpool dockers, Scottish mineworkers passed a resolution to send £1000 in relief to Hungary, including in the resolution a condemnation of “the aggression of the Soviet Union in Hungary.”
The action by Liverpool dockers was subsequently followed by similar action on another Russian ship by dockers in Hull.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/13009/Liverpool-dockers-solidarity-with-Hungarian-revolution
Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
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