Imperial Typewriters
What would you do if you found out your workmates earned more than you simply because they were white? That question faced hundreds of migrant workers at Leicester's Imperial Typewriter factory in May 1974.
That question faced hundreds of migrant workers at Leicester’s Imperial Typewriters factory in May 1974. Some 500 mostly South Asian workers decided to take a stand and staged a mass walkout. In the coming weeks they would face down opposing bosses, unsympathetic fellow employees, the police, and the National Front. This is the story of a heroic struggle, which not only changed Leicester but also helped change Britain for the better. The Strike at Imperial Typewriters Exhibition will run at Leicester’s Newarke Houses Museum from 15th June to 26th October 2019, marking the 45th anniversary of the strike.
Curated by Leicester writer Divya Ghelani and producer Marc Boothe of B3, the exhibition strives to capture the untold experiences that shaped the lives of a whole generation of South Asian migrants in an evolving city. It contains original oral history testimony from strikers and non-strikers alike to create an in-depth account of the making of modern Leicester.