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Belfast 1907 Dock Strike Jim Larkin led a campaign to unionise the dockers
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Belfast 1907 Dock Strike Jim Larkin led a campaign to unionise the dockers
Belfast 1907 Dock Strike
Jim Larkin led a campaign to unionise the dockers and transport workers, uniting Catholic and Protestant workers throughout Belfast in the fight for union rights. The ruling class were shaken after their age old method of playing the Orange card to divide the workers totally failed. The Unionist press had denounced Larkin as a " Catholic and a socialist" and attempted to whip up emotions around the July 12 th parades.
Larkin responded by organising a united labour movement demonstration on the eve of July 12th, cutting the ground from beneath the sectarians and stamping the trade unions authority on the city. He even won the support of the Independent Orange Order - a working class, pro-labour breakaway from the official Orange Order - who backed the demonstration. Indeed, scabs had been brought in to break the strike, from Liverpool; that these class traitors came from Britain and not the Catholic enemy in the South was not lost on Protestant workers.
The bosses were further weakened when the clamour for trade union rights spread to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Belfast. The leader of the movement demanding trade union rights for the police was threatened with a charge of mutiny. The rank and file of the RUC responded with a mass meeting at the Musgrave Street Barracks threatening immediate strike action, and the authorities backed down.
As the bosses saw the trappings of state power begin to unravel and their sectarian grip on Protestant workers collapse, they were only saved by the leaders of the British TUC. They rushed over to the North and imposed a settlement on the dockers, and the movement subsided. Our Picture Shows: Belfast Strike children playing in the streets barefoot Dbase Msi
Daily Mirror
Mirrorpix
Belfast
Northern Ireland
WA*452001
Media ID 21417847
© Mirrorpix
1900s 1907 Boys Industrial Dispute Streets Strikes Young
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the historic Belfast 1907 Dock Strike, a pivotal moment in the fight for union rights led by Jim Larkin. In an era of deep sectarian division, Larkin successfully united Catholic and Protestant workers throughout Belfast to demand fair treatment and better working conditions. The ruling class attempted to divide the workers by playing the Orange card, but their tactics failed as Larkin organized a united labour movement demonstration on the eve of July 12th. This move not only undermined sectarianism but also gained support from unexpected quarters, such as the Independent Orange Order. Even scabs brought in from Liverpool could not break the strike, highlighting how class loyalty transcended religious divides among Protestant workers. The bosses' grip on power further weakened when demands for trade union rights spread to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Belfast. Threats of mutiny were met with mass meetings and threats of immediate strike action. However, just as victory seemed within reach for the dockers and transport workers, leaders from British TUC imposed a settlement that ultimately quelled the movement. Despite this setback, this photograph reminds us of those children who played barefoot in these streets during such tumultuous times—a testament to resilience amidst struggle. This image serves as a powerful reminder of Jim Larkin's leadership and his ability to unite diverse communities in pursuit of justice and equality during one of Belfast's most significant labor movements.
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