(concluded from Bulletin Number No. 16)
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How the strike went
The strike duly took place as arranged on the morning of April 11th, and the first day passed without disturbance, everything running smoothly. The matron end other officials were not permitted to enter the wards, but the Medical officers were. The kitchen staff undertook their ordinary duties of cooking for the patients and staff but not for the Asylum officials or for members of the visiting committee. When later they were suspended for disobdience of orders they retired to the wards and assisted the nursese
Police patrols were drafted to the Institution by the authoriites and placed round the grounds, but there was no disturbance of any kind.
A mecting of the male members of the staff in the evening demanded to be allowed to strike in support of the female staff, and the strike committee of the union: decided that at seven o'clock the following morning, April 12th, three male wards should be commandeored by male strikers and the non-unionists in these wards should be ejected. The remaining three male wards were left to the blacklegs to deal with as best as they could.
The visiting committee met on the morning of April 12th and decided that 'all staff at Radcliffe Asylum who have shown insubordination should be discharged forthwith'. About 50 females and 17 males were invdalved in this decision. During the afternoon a bus load of female blacklegs arrived at the Inttitution. The end -— a four hour fight
The end of the strike came on Thursday, April 14th. The April issue of the National Asylum “lorkers Union magazine, which deals with the struggle up to the point of the arrival of the bus lead of female blacklegs, states:
"Subsequent events we prefer to allow the press to deal with.
In general the accounts are fairly accurate and we need only add that it took from one o'clock to five o'clock to get the strikers from the wards. Great damage was done by the patients, windows, pictures, plantpots, furniture, etc., being smashed to bits, while the authorities had to break open every ward door and demolish the barricades of tables, beds, chairs, piano's, etc. erected by the strikers and patients against every ward door. There were numerous casualties among the attackers but none to speak of amongst the strikers. The attacking force consisted of 63 policemen, 25 bailiffs and blacklegs and officials," Press iixtracts
The following are extracts from the Daily Sketch, April 15th 1922:
"Nottingham. Friday:- After a fierce hand to hand strug,le the nurses on strike at Radcliffe Asylum were overpowered and ejected by the police, assisted by a newly appointed staff. By cutting off the water at the main the strikers were deprived of the effective use of the fire hoses. The main attack by the police and their supporters was directed against the entrance of Ward No. 2. Crowbars were used to force the outer doors and the police then removed the piled up barricades of heavy furniture, bedsteads and in one case a piano. Beyond the barricades they were met by the strikers and a hand-to-hand conflict took place. A number of inmates reinforced the strikers' efforts, but fortunately most of the inmaates contented themselves with smashing furniture rather than attacking the police, Driven in succession through three wards, the strikers took refuge in the common room where they sang "Britains never shall be slaves." That marked the end of a +wo hours struggle. Recognising that they were outmanoeuvred and overpowered the strikers packed up their belongings and drove in motor chara-bancs to the village of Radcliffe.
ixtracts from The Glasgow Citizen, April 15, 1922.
“Proceedings began by the strikers, 14 men and 17 men being summoned to leave. Anumber of them refused and locked themsleves in their wards. To carry out the eviction the authorities had enlisted the aid of a party of bailiffs and a large posse of police,
"Operations began at one o'clock in the afternoon. A cordon of police was dravm around the buildings, and bailiffs armed with heavy crowbars proceeded