The Ulster Workers' Council Strike - 1974
Oct 4, 2026 · 26 min · 8 segments
The British Government faces intense from the Northern Irish administration to execute a firm plan to break the massive loyalist strike.
On Wednesday evening the executive met again and in a series of discussions looked at ways to break the stranglehold that the UWC had over the province.
By now ministers were being helicoptered indirectly to Stormont from nearby army bases.
John Hume's Ministry of Commerce had for some time had an oil contingency plan in readiness for any energy crisis which might occur involving the takeover of petrol supplies and distribution by ministry of commerce officials and civil servants faulkner in his memoir states that hume brought this before the executive and we agreed it in principle and the plan was this In essence, the British Army would move in and seize the refinery and the distribution of products to provide bulk users the hospitals, medical and welfare services, food processing, water and sewage and 21 petrol stations would also be commandeered to supply an estimated 6,500 essential users.
Coupons and licensing for users would be issued from the government departments, evenly distributed to the designated petrol stations throughout Northern Ireland.
For the rest, Prices would be fixed and the remaining petrol stations could function if they wished to open or remain open until the oil depots in Larne, Carrickfergus and Londonderry ran out.
Of course, in a two-front war against Protestants and Catholics, The British Army demanded that extra troops be brought in.
Because there were calculations, given the Belfast gas manufacturing plant was within the area to be seized, if the workers in the gas manufacturing plant walked out or refused to pass army cordons, then this too would be requisitioned and run by the army.
Factored in was the risk of Protestant sabotage, but the UWC had always desired to tie the army up elsewhere and never had any plans to arson or sabotage.
If this plan sounds familiar, it is no accident.
This is the very same plan the UWC used to wrest control of the Protestant areas of Ulster and to stop leaks.
John Hume tweaked the plan at the last minute, but I, sympathetic to the UWC, were watching all of them and the plan was leaked to the UWC within hours.
On Wednesday evening the executive met again and in a series of discussions looked at ways to break the stranglehold that the UWC had over the province.
By now ministers were being helicoptered indirectly to Stormont from nearby army bases.
John Hume's Ministry of Commerce had for some time had an oil contingency plan in readiness for any energy crisis which might occur involving the takeover of petrol supplies and distribution by ministry of commerce officials and civil servants faulkner in his memoir states that hume brought this before the executive and we agreed it in principle and the plan was this In essence, the British Army would move in and seize the refinery and the distribution of products to provide bulk users the hospitals, medical and welfare services, food processing, water and sewage and 21 petrol stations would also be commandeered to supply an estimated 6,500 essential users.
Coupons and licensing for users would be issued from the government departments, evenly distributed to the designated petrol stations throughout Northern Ireland.
For the rest, Prices would be fixed and the remaining petrol stations could function if they wished to open or remain open until the oil depots in Larne, Carrickfergus and Londonderry ran out.
Of course, in a two-front war against Protestants and Catholics, The British Army demanded that extra troops be brought in.
Because there were calculations, given the Belfast gas manufacturing plant was within the area to be seized, if the workers in the gas manufacturing plant walked out or refused to pass army cordons, then this too would be requisitioned and run by the army.
Factored in was the risk of Protestant sabotage, but the UWC had always desired to tie the army up elsewhere and never had any plans to arson or sabotage.
If this plan sounds familiar, it is no accident.
This is the very same plan the UWC used to wrest control of the Protestant areas of Ulster and to stop leaks.
John Hume tweaked the plan at the last minute, but I, sympathetic to the UWC, were watching all of them and the plan was leaked to the UWC within hours.
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