Cartoon sketch of a society lady helping out during the General Strike, accompanied by her pet poodle. In support of a strike by coal miners over the issue of threatened wage cuts, the Trades Union Congress called a General Strike in early May 1926. The strike only involved certain key industrial sectors (docks, electricity, gas, railways) but, in the face of well-organised government emergency measures and lack of real public support, it collapsed after nine days. The Sketch and other ILN magazines produced emergency numbers and reported on the organisation of canteens for transport workers, staffed by well-known society ladies.