Summer of Discontent

Beginning in June 2022, a period of civil and industrial unrest that occurred throughout the UK, lasting some 3 months and punctuated by demonstrations, General Strikes, as well as the occupations across the UK. At the height of events, which have since become known as The Summer of Discontent, the economy of the UK came to a halt. The unrest was caused by widespred anger over record high infaltion, public sector job cuts and a large decline in living standards in the UK. At the height of the strikes, some 16% of the workforce was on strike, with a further 29% unable to work due to disruption.

The unrest began with a series of Protests and Strikes against the Cost of Living Crisis, Austerity, job cuts and rising inequality. Heavy police repression of the protesters during a June the 18th led, TUC-led protest, led to Trade Unions in the UK to call for illegal solidarity action, culminating in a 3 day general strike in July alongside previously planned industrial action from RMT, the NEU and Unison, which spread far more quickly than expected to involve 8 million workers, more than 16% of the total UK workforce at the time. The movement was characterized by large, organised Strike action and public rallies, which continued to be prevelant until the October Snap Election.

The discontent and action led to a rapid change in the UK social contract, with a resurgance of trade union membership, an increase in sectoral barganing and the 2022 Snap Election which saw the incumbent Conservative Government defeated. Anger at the reponse of Labour leader Keir Starmer - who condemned the strikes as 'reckless' and 'irresponsible' - amongst the trade union movement led some unions, including Unite, RMT, ASLEF, NASWAT, the NEU and others to dissaffiliate from the Labour Party, with some backing the newly created Left-Wing Social Movement Party led by former Labour MP Ian Byrne.

The common naming of the movement as the Summer of Discontent, arised after a headline from the Sun Newspaper claiming "BoJo leads us into a new Summer of Discontent", although the movement was also known as the Scorching Summer, or the Jun18 Movement - which references the large TUC-Led Rally on June the 18th, which was violently crushed by Police and is credited with starting the unrest.