Do my homework for me

Reading Margaret Morris’ The General Strike started a train of thought about union militancy, strike action and preparedness for confrontations with the government. Because even halfway through it became clear that a big part of why the strike failed has to due both with the unwillingness of the unions to properly prepare for a fight and then to see it through. The union leadership especially seemed unwilling to go to far in their fight, torn between respectability and militancy. Therefore they didn’t make the necessary preparations for the fight, which could be seen coming at least nine months beforehand so as to not antagonise the government unduly, while the government itself felt no such qualms and they bottled out at the first opportune moment.

Which reminded me of a recent strike action that was succesful, that did force a government to back down: the fuel protests of 2000, in which a combination of farmers and lorry drivers blockaded oil facilities, took the government by surprise and forcing them to freeze further tax increases on fuel, for at least some time. It was presented and percieved as somewhat of a reactionary protests, by the kind of people who in the UK at least are not thought of as being natural unionists, let alone socialists. But what I’m wondering about is if anybody did make the effort to analyse these protests, their tactics and their successes from a leftwing perspective. Compared to union action in the last decade or so it does seem to have been much more succesful than most strikes, especially in the way a relatively small group of protestors could have a national impact.

So, anybody want to give me some pointers? Anyone? Anyone? Ferris?