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Across Britain the 1970s was an era of sky-high inflation and caps imposed on public sector pay rises by Ted Heath\u2019s Conservative government, which infuriated the trade unions.<\/p>\n
The most powerful of these was the National Union of Mineworkers as most industries relied on coal power.<\/p>\n
Heath became locked into a battle which, ultimately, he could not win.<\/p>\n
Miners voted for their first strike since 1926 over wages. For six weeks in January and February 1972 they picketed power stations in a bid to restrict coal supply.<\/p>\n
In the power cuts which followed, even the Cabinet in Downing Street met by candlelight, along with families at their evening meal and pub-goers supping a pint.<\/p>\n
Advertising display boards in London\u2019s Piccadilly Circus were switched off. The public were ordered to limit heating to one room and keep non-essential lights off.<\/p>\n
The Government declared a state of emergency, tens of thousands of people were thrown into unemployment and hundreds of factories had to cease production.<\/p>\n
Heath capitulated, to the fury of his Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher, and agreed a 30 per cent NUM pay deal.<\/p>\n
Most of the mass power cuts came to an end in early March.<\/p>\n
But the following year inflation wiped out much of the miners\u2019 pay boost.<\/p>\n
The NUM\u2019s 1973 annual conference demanded a 35 per cent rise regardless of government controls, aiming to claw back reductions in the real value of pay packets over previous years.<\/p>\n
Although the strike was heavily defeated in a ballot, the miners imposed an overtime ban to halve production.<\/p>\n
At a time of rocketing fuel prices hiked by the oil-producing nations, such action threatened to bring Britain to a standstill.<\/p>\n
The response from Heath was swift \u2013 but disastrous for his leadership. On December 13, 1973, he announced a Parliamentary order to impose a three-day working week to curb the commercial consumption of electricity.<\/p>\n
Heath said the miners \u2013 together with the OPEC Middle Eastern oil nations who had raised oil prices 70 per cent \u2013 threatened to give Britons their most miserable Christmas since the Second World War.<\/p>\n
The PM claimed that, rather than risk a total shutdown, working time was to be reduced to prolong the life of fuel stocks.<\/p>\n
Commercial users of electricity were limited to three specified consecutive days of consumption each week and prohibited from working longer hours on those days.<\/p>\n
Services deemed essential, including hospitals, supermarkets and newspaper printing presses, were exempt.<\/p>\n
Television broadcasts were to shut down at 10.30pm each night and most pubs were closed. Due to power surges, BBC and ITV were forced into staggered shutdowns, alternating nightly, although that was suspended for Christmas and New Year celebrations.<\/p>\n
Shorter production times meant shops ran short of food and other goods, sparking panic-buying of everyday items. One retailer said: \u201cI have had a letter from a family who want to fill a room with enough food to last two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wanted to know the shelf life of tinned products. We are short of some lines, but this is ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n