ON THIS DAY: COWES ‘BLACKLEGS’ BREAK SOUTHAMPTON SHIPYARD WORKERS STRIKE 100 YEARS AGO

Skilled shipyard workers from Cowes seeking work on the ‘Mauretania’ received a rough reception on their arrival in Southampton on 11th April 1924. The Cunard liner Mauretania had come to Southampton 2 months previously for a refit. There was said to be sufficient work for 2,000 men. However, no work had been carried out on the liner due to a strike of shipyard workers. After a significant delay, the ship’s owners decided to have the liner repaired in Cherbourg, France. Skilled English workers, however, were still required to undertake the refit. Cunard began to engage workers prepared to go with the Mauretania, which they would live on board while she was docked in Cherbourg. Plans were made to get them on board without the Southampton strike committee’s knowledge. A group of skilled workers from Cowes-based shipyards were engaged. However, when the men reached Southampton on the Isle of Wight package steamer, they were met by a mass picket of strikers, who jumped on board in an attempt to dissuade them from making the journey to France. An arrangement had been made for some of the Cowes workers to be dropped on the other side of the steamer onto a launch to take them directly to the liner, however, only 1 man was successful in reaching the launch. Several Isle of Wight men managed to elude the mass picket at the pier and successfully ran the gauntlet of further pickets to reach the liner safely. After the Mauretania had departed from Southampton, further arrangements were made to take the Cowes workers who had not successfully made it to the liner in Southampton to Cherbourg.