Winter of Discontent
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The phrase Winter of Discontent refers to the British winter of 1978-1979, when widespread strikes marked the largest stoppage of labour since the 1926 General Strike as the working classes and the Trade Unions rebelled against the socialist government incumbent at the time. The period was marked by food shortages, power cuts, household refuse uncollected, and even the dead were left unburied.
Origin of the phrase
"Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of York" was written by Shakespeare in his play Richard III (1594). It actually means that the period of discontent or unhappiness is ending, winter marking the end of a cycle. The phrase was used to describe the social and industrial unrest of the 1978-79 winter by the political editor of the British national newspaper The Sun.
Background
The "discontent" of British workers had been building for several years; inflation had reached 26.9% in August 1975, and the incumbent Labour government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson introduced a "cap" on pay increases for workers at limits set by the government, and far below the rate of inflation. For workers earning under £8,500 ($17,000) a year the maximum pay increase could not exceed £6 ($12) per week.
