1-150-687 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'Mrs Taffy's Elixir', 1873. The Union representative in the centre is told that, had the workers had a vote, they would not have voted to strike. This cartoon relates to the strike action taken by 10,000 ironmasters' colliers in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire at the beginning of 1873. The knock-on effect was to put a further 60,000 ironworkers, temporarily at least, out of work. Punch disapproved of the numerous strikes being taken by workers in various industries. The end of the previous year had seen bakers and carpenters withdrawing their labour, as well as the Metropolitan police and London's gas-workers. From Punch, or the London Charivari, January 18, 1873.