The Lockout was an industrial dispute that lasted from August 1913 until January 1914 involving three hundred businesses and up to twenty thousand workers. The dispute was caused by the refusal of Dublin business men lead by William Martin Murphy to recognise the right of workers to join the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU) lead by James Larkin. In response to sackings the Union called a strike on the United Tramway Co. in August 1913. The employer's responded by forcing their employees to sign a pledge never to join the Union those who refused were either sacked or locked out.
