Striking postal workers clash with Gardaí while picketing a CIÉ depot in Sheriff St, Dublin.
Irish postal workers went on strike for 18 weeks in 1979, which was Ireland’s worst ever year for strikes. The postal workers’ pay was very low at the time and their union put in a claim for a rise of over 30%. The strikers stopped delivery of post and payment of social welfare.
Things got particularly heated in May at a picket on the CIÉ Fast Track depot in Sheriff Street, Dublin. The postal strikers were convinced that CIÉ staff were handling mail concealed in parcels and tried to stop cars passing the picket line. Garda reinforcements were drafted in to keep order and by 11 May, over 30 protesters had been charged with offences.
Forbes McFall reports for ‘Frontline’ on the Sheriff St picket on 11 May 1979. One protester is knocked unconscious in a scuffle with Gardaí.
The strike was eventually settled for a modest pay increase, much less than originally sought.
| Title: | Violence on Picket Line |
| Clip Duration: | 00:08:35 |
| Material Type: | Video |
| Clip Title: | “A Small Group of Workers Rushed Headlong at the Gardaí” |
| Series Title: | Frontline |
| Information: | ‘Frontline’ was an investigative report and analysis programme on issues of the day from Brian Farrell, Michael Heney, Forbes McFall and Michael Ryan. |
| Local Keywords: | Industrial disputes, Post strike, Pickets, CIÉ Fast Track, Gardaí, An Garda Síochána |
| Coverage: | Ireland |
| Genre: | Factual |
| Topic: | Society and Social Issues |
| Provider: | RTÉ |
| Contributor(s): | Forbes McFall (Reporter) |
| Publisher: | RTÉ |
| First Broadcast Channel: | RTÉ One |
| Production Year: | 1979 |
| Country of Production: | Ireland |
| Original Identifier: | P282/00079 |
| IPR Restrictions: | Rights Reserved - Free Access |
| Rights, Terms and Conditions: | Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
| Item Type: | part/extract |
| Colour: | Colour |
| Sound: | Mono |
| Aspect Ratio: | 4:3 |
| Language: | English (eng) |
| Original Language: | English (eng) |
