‘Biggest Strike in Liverpool Since 1926’

Updated: Jan 20, 2021

Proclaimed the Liverpool City Council Joint Trades Unions Committee strike bulletin on the 17 April 1991.

This was not during the so-called ‘Militant Years’ of the mid-1980s as myth would have it but arose from an attempt by the then Labour Council to get rid of 1500 jobs !

The following newsletters written at the time provide a real time journey through Liverpool NALGO’s 6 month selective strike battle against compulsory redundancies.

39 NALGO members faced compulsory redundancy following the budget agreed on the 10th March 1991. Part of a total of 386 redundancies by an alliance of Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors.

The 39 NALGO members comprised 9-Drugs Liaison Unit members, 20- Environmental Services, and 10 Static Services members - with more to come.

Council then votes to privatise the bin service threatening more redundancies but is forced to rescind some others after NALGO goes to the High Court seek a Judicial Review.

In the meantime NALGO successfully balloted members in the the Capital Finance Section, Salaries/Payroll, Cash Branch/Cashiers Sections and over 200 Housing Benefits staff have walked out and joined the strike action - bringing the City Council back to the negotiating table.

But then ...

By mid-July, NALGO has 400 members on all-out strike in Car Parks, Maintenance & Building Works, Housing Benefits, and Housing Management.

However, after the City Council voted to sack 460 refuse collectors in June and to award the refuse collection contract to Onyx, the other unions already undermined by the lack of strike funds and little national support , became understandably demoralised and by August NALGO was left to fight alone.

But NALGO remain adamant that the strike will not cease until the 11 NALGO members are redeployed and a further 30 members in Housing Aid have been balloted and will be joining the strike.