Blacklegs discharging a ship in the London Docks during the General Strike.

Repro ID: H3857

Description: During the General Strike thousands of people responded to the Conservative government's call for volunteers and enlisted as special constables, lorry drivers and dockers. Over 1000 volunteers, or 'blacklegs', worked in the Victoria Docks alone. These men included Covent Garden porters as well as Cambridge undergraduates, but on the whole tended to come from middle-class backgrounds. However, many Londoners, especially those involved in transport, dock work, printing, power and the metal trades, did support the TUC's call to action on 3 May 1926. This was despite the fact that the coal dispute that caused the strike had nothing directly to do with most working-class Londoners.

Creator: Unknown

Date: May 1926

Credit line: National Maritime Museum, London