This work investigates the 1970 strike at the Pilkington glass works in St Helens, examining the breakdown of industrial relations and the emergence of rank-and-file militancy. The authors, Tony Lane and Kenneth Roberts, utilize a sociological framework to analyze the conflict between the established trade union leadership and the dissatisfied workforce. By documenting the specific grievances and the organizational dynamics of the strike, the text provides a detailed account of a pivotal moment in British labor history.

The subject matter points to a dense, specialist text that serves as a primary resource for students of industrial sociology and British labor history. The framing suggests a rigorous, academic approach to understanding the mechanics of worker dissent and institutional failure within a major industrial enterprise.