 Mr Justice Astbury granted the injunction by ruling that no trade dispute could exist between the TUC and "the government of the nation" and that except for the strike in the coal industry, the general strike was not protected by Trade Disputes Act 1906.In addition, he ruled that the strike in the plaintiff union had been called in contravention of its own rules.As a result, the unions involved became liable, by common law, for incitement to breach of contract and faced potential sequestration of their assets by employers.