On Monday the Government's proposals for the adjustment of the
London transport dispute were rejected by the masters, and the same evening the Transport Workers' Federation, in accordance with their threat, gave orders for an immediate national stoppage. From the very first the success of the strike leaders seemed imperilled, for the executive of the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union (a body of 40,000 men) at once forbade their members to obey the order to strike. On Tuesday but few ports were affected, and by Wednesday it had become clear that the strike was likely to become a fiasco. According to the latest estimates some 8,000 men were out at Bristol, 7,000 at Southampton, and about half as many at Swansea. There was also some dislocation at Plymouth, Davenport, and Manchester, though in the last place men were already returning to work. The strike leaders estimated that outside the London area about 50,000 men had struck, but the Times estimate was for about half that number. Clearly, then, the so-called national strike has proved a failure.
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