The General Strike 1926In 1925 the mine owners announced that they intended to reduce the wages of the miners. The General Council of the Trade Union Congress responded to this news by promising to support the miners in their dispute with their employers. The Conservative government decided to intervene and provided the money needed to bring the miners' wages back to their previous level. This event became known as Red Friday because it was seen as a victory for working class solidarity. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin declared that this subsidy to miners' wages would last only 9 months. Meanwhile the government set up a royal commission, chaired by Sir Herbert Samuel, to examine the problems of the mining industry. The Samuel Commission published its report in March 1926. It recognized the need to reorganize the industry but rejected the suggestion of nationalisation. The report also recommended withdrawing government subsidy and reducing miners' wages. In the month the report was published, the mine owners also published the new working conditions. These new procedures included an extension of the seven-hour working day, district wage agreements, and a reduction in the wages of all miners. Depending on several factors, wages would be reduced by between 10% and 25%. The mine owners announced that if the miners did not accept the new terms of employment, they would be locked out of the mines from May 1st. On 1 May 1926 a conference of the Congress of Trade Unions met, which subsequently announced a general strike "in defense of miners' wages and hours" would begin two days later. Leaders of both the Trades Union Council and the Labor Party were unhappy with the proposal for a general strike, and during the next two days frantic efforts were made to reach an agreement with the Conservative government and the mine owners. The Trade Union Congress called the general strike on the basis of the agreement which would then take over the negotiations from