Wapping dispute

The Wapping dispute was a major conflict in 1986 between British newspapers and their print workers, sparked by shifts to automated, computerized printing. The print unions opposed these changes, fearing job losses, and responded with strikes. News organizations, supported by new management techniques, sought to break the union’s power, leading to a long-standing industrial dispute. The conflict resulted in legal battles, changes in labor relations, and ultimately, the decline of strong union influence in the British newspaper industry. It highlighted tensions between modernization, labor rights, and economic pressures during that period.