THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Dockers strikes comes to an end but barbers’ strike set to continue

From the News Letter, February 22, 1950
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Ulster eggs were again on the move to Britain reported the News Letter on this day in 1950 after having been held up in the packing stations for 10 days because of the Belfast dockers’ refusal to handle Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) freight.

It was estimated that with the end of the strike some 20,000 cases of Ulster eggs will have been shipped within a couple of days, which was of course good news for producers across the Province.

The hold-up in shipments, according to a ministry official, had not harmed the eggs in any way.

General view of the Belfast docks in February 2021. Picture: Jonathan Porter/Press EyeGeneral view of the Belfast docks in February 2021. Picture: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye
General view of the Belfast docks in February 2021. Picture: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

They had all be in tested and found correct. He pointed out that the normal shipment of eggs to Britain at this, time of the year is 30,000 cases each week.

From the Ministry of Food it had been learned by the News Letter that the strike at the docks had caused little disturbance in the supply of rationed foods.

The paper’s correspondent remarked: “If the stoppage had lasted much longer, however, there would have been a shortage of certain imported foods. The cheese shortage was relieved yesterday by the discharge of another consignment at the docks.”

Meanwhile, one of the first duties of the dockers when they resumed the previous day was to unload a consignment of cigarettes from Bristol.

A shortage of cigarettes had been threatened because of the strike.

But while the dockers strike may have been over one being held by hairdressers’ assistants in Belfast continued “with no sign of settlement”.

An official of the men’s union had been in touch with the Ministry of Labour the previous night.

But there appeared to be no willingness to compromise, in a statement the masters had warned that they would not allow assistants “to hold a gun at their heads”.