The Liverpool Dock Dispute (1995-8) was one of the longest movements in British labour history, and mobilised large-scale international support, yet it has received only a modest amount of...Show moreThe Liverpool Dock Dispute (1995-8) was one of the longest movements in British labour history, and mobilised large-scale international support, yet it has received only a modest amount of scholarly attention. Using a combination of ego documents and newly produced sources, this thesis seeks to illuminate three particular areas of neglect relating to the dockers’ emotions and identities, their international campaign, and the legacy of their movement. Central to this is an approach that embeds social movement concepts – and theories on emotions, narratives, and collective memory - within an account of the dispute’s beginning, development, and end. Ultimately, the findings of this study enable a series of broader conclusions about the usefulness of oral history, and the importance of concepts such as emotion, identity, and memory to the field of industrial relations more widely.Show less
