Show Notes
On this day, 25 October 1983, the Hayes Cottage Hospital in England was occupied by its staff and run under workers' control in protest at its proposed closure the following week. A leaflet about the occupation issued at the time stated: "This action was taken after a lot of thought but it was clearly the only way to stop the closure after other avenues had been exhausted. "The reaction of the people of Hayes has been really magnificent. We have had visitors coming round with food, supplies and money… "G.P's connected with the hospital are to start admitting patients again so we will be running just as before. Certainly, the patients in the Cottage Hospital are solidly behind the work-in. Fifteen of them have signed a petition demanding the retention of the hospital and one patient has insisted that if any attempt is made to move her she intends to die in the ambulance". The workers self-managed the hospital until December, when the health authority caved in and agreed to keep it open. The hospital remained open until the 1990s, when it was turned into a nursing home. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9783/hayes-cottage-hospital-occupied
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More from On This Day in Working Class History
On this day, 28 October 1916, conscription to the army in Australia during World War I was narrowly defeated in a referendum by 51% to 49%. Labor prime minister Billy Hughes, a former union leader, had vigorously attempted to introduce conscription. He blamed the revolutionary union the Industrial Workers of the World for the defeat. The IWW had been extremely active in opposing conscription and the war. Hughes responded by banning the organisation and arresting and jailing many of its members and activists. A second referendum was held the following year, and defeated by an even bigger margin. Find out more in our podcast episode 19 about the Australian IWW here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e19-the-iww-in-australia/
On this day, 27 October 1948, a two-week wildcat strike of New York City brewery workers had grown to 3500 people. Two of the city's brewers then decided to abandon the Board of Trade's collective position and agree to the strikers' demands to drop a punitive scheduling system which gave drivers insufficient time to unload their vehicles. Meanwhile, 10 breweries went on the offensive, suing the United Brewery Workers union for up to $10 million each, despite the union ordering the strikers to return to work, and requesting injunctions against pickets. But the workers held out. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9957/nyc-brewery-strike-grows
On this day, 26 October 1983, the Northwood and Pinner hospital in England was occupied by its workers in protest at its proposed closure, led by matron Jean Carey. From the following day, they ran the hospital themselves collectively and eventually the workers won, and it stayed open for a further 25 years. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9867/northwood-and-pinner-occupation This is one of hundreds of stories featured in our book, Working Class History: Everyday Acts of Resistance & Rebellion, available with global shipping: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/working-class-history-everyday-acts-resistance-rebellion-book
On this day, 24 October 1975, 500 workers at the La Tondeña distillery in the Philippines went on strike and occupied the plant, despite president Ferdinand Marcos have declared martial law. The workers were organised in the Kaisahan ng Malayang Manggagawa ng La Tondeña union, and were demanding numerous improvements including: permanent status for casual workers, better pay and maternity leave. After 44 hours, the strike was repressed by security forces. But the action inspired other resistance to the regime, and the workers' slogan, "Tama Na, Sobra, Welga Na" ("Enough! Too much! Strike now!") caught on and was later adapted to "Tama Na! Sobra Na! Palitan Na!" ("Enough! Too much! Change it!") in the movement which brought down the Marcos regime in 1986. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11325/la-tonde%C3%B1a-strike
On this day, 23 October 1913, suffragettes carried out an arson attack on Bristol University's recently-built boat house at their athletics ground. Suffragette literature was left nearby as well as a note saying "Business before pleasure. Hobhouse being responsible will pay. Release Mary Richardson." Mary Richardson was a London suffragette who had recently been imprisoned for an arson attack on a house in Hampton-on-Thames. Hobhouse was presumably aristocrat and Liberal cabinet minister Charles Hobhouse. In retaliation for the attack, around 300 Bristol University students attacked the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) shop which was nearby, smashing its windows, and burning its literature in the street. The student publication subsequently stated: “We may congratulate ourselves on the completeness of our revenge on the ‘Suffs'… The arm of the law is just too short to reach these female fanatics”. This incident was one of many such arson attacks by the WSPU. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/12633/bristol-sports-pavilion-attack