Soldasamulti-volumeset-theindividualvolumesarealsoavailableforpurchase.ThisvolumetracesthehistoryoftheTGWUfromitszenithintheperiodoftheLabourGovernmenttoitsnadirin1992.Iteasilydividesitselfintotwodistinctperiods.Thefirstfrom1974-79sawareformingLabourgovernmentwhich,recognisingtradeunionstrength,wasdeterminedto’bringaboutafundamentalandirreversibleshiftinthebalanceofpowerandwealthinfavourofworkingpeople’.ItmarkedthezenithoftheTGWUinwhichtheunionplayedanimportantrole,overseeingtherepealofanti-unionIndustrialRelationAct,andtheenactmentofaraftofpro-workerlegislation.Butthiswasinsufficienttosustainthe’SocialContract’betweentheLabourGovernmentandtheTradeUnions-leadingtothe’WinterofDiscontent’andtheToryelectionvictoryof1979.Thesecondperiod,1979-92,witnessedthenadiroftheTGWU.ArightwingConservativegovernmentledbyMargaretThatcher,wasdeterminedtoreverseallthegainsofprecedingLabouradministrations.Anti-unionlegislationandthecrueltoolofunemploymentcreatedtheeconomicandpoliticalconditionstodecimatetradeunions.Defensivestrugglescouldnotstopthedefeatssufferedbycarworkers,miners,printersanddockers.TradeunionmembershipdeclinedintheThatcheryears,leadingtoableakperiodofindustrialdefeatandunionretrenchment,characterisedbymergersandreorganisation-mitigatedonlybypositivemovestotackleendemicracismandsexisminanattempttoinvolvepreviouslydisregardedwomenandblackworkers.
