[2] Archives of government papers show that "a period of severe industrial unrest" began in September 1970.

In September 1982, Chapple became President of the Trades Union Congress and was succeeded by Eric Hammond in 1984.

[4][5] In 1986 the union's members replaced print workers that had been sacked by News International, prompting the Wapping dispute that led to the irrevocable change of Fleet Street.

The EETPU had developed a policy of signing single union agreements in companies where it had few members.

Amicus, the largest private sector union with 1.2m workers, was led by Derek Simpson since June 2002.