Ralph darlington, school of management, university of salford, salford m5 4wt. In their recent book on the miners strike of 198485, marching to the fault line, the guardian journalists francis beckett and david hencke dispute this version of the events that took place at saltley gates, considering them to be of relatively minor importance. As gary oldmans new film is dismissed as a fantasy, there remains a deep hatred for churchill in the coalfields of wales and northern england. With the publication of this bestselling book a decade later, the full irony of that accusation became. The bbc has referred to the strike as the most bitter industrial dispute in british history. In the britain of the 1970s, power cuts and lengthy blackouts became a fact of life. And the subtitle, the story of the miners strike, 19845, refers to his specific task of revitalizing major sections of british industry. The 1972 uk miners strike was a major dispute over pay between the national union of. Mar 12, 2009 the literary mise en scene of tony harrisons v may be grays elegy but the political background is the miners strike. Richards book, miners on strike, dedicated a chapter to how unusual it was in 1984 for a largescale strike to be launched in protest at job cuts. A period of great labor unrest marked the year leading up to the massive walkout from. In britain, trade unions had traditionally launched strikes for claims on wage rises and rights at work, but strikes in defence of jobs had been very rare. The uk miners strike of 198485 was a major industrial action affecting the british coal industry. To reduce electricity consumption, and thus conserve coal stocks, the conservative prime minister, edward heath, announced a number of measures on december 1973, including the threeday work order, which came into force at midnight on 31 december.
In february 1972, twelve uk power stations were shut down and a threeday working week was introduced ending after 20 days of power cuts. Miners wages had not kept pace with those of other industrial workers since 1960. The num took part in three national miners strikes, in 1972, 1974 and 198485. The queen broke royal protocol, criticised miners strike. The strike by the national union of mineworkers num was led by arthur scargill, although some num members considered it to be unconstitutional and did not observe it. Tearful miners march in farewell to britains last deep coal mine.
New documents reveal true extent of miners cooperation with. Winston churchill only rode on the underground once. International support for the miners strike 198485. Feb 05, 2012 the miners strike 1984 was one of the longest and most brutal in british labour history. Cover image of book reform, revolution and direct action amongst british miners. Mar 01, 2009 the 198485 miners strike was a momentous episode in the political history of the uk and the industrial history of the western world. It was also seen as a major political victory for margaret thatcher and the conservative party. The 1972 uk miners strike was a major dispute over pay between the national union of mineworkers num and the conservative edward heath government of the united kingdom. Thirty years ago, margaret thatcher branded striking miners the enemy within. A community fighting for jobs and survival was wholly denigrated and depicted as violent by the majority. British coal workers called off a fourweek strike following a 35% pay offer from the new labour government in what is being seen as a resounding victory for the miners. As dave forms argued thirtytwo years ago, in words that still. They did so in the midst of the 1984 miners strike the most bitter and. Historian dominic sandbrook examines why in the popular imagination the 1970s are lampooned and despised as the era of edward heath, the decade of.
The miners strike, a defining political turning point for uk industrial relations, caused at least 10 deaths food parcels and clothing were also shipped to those taking part in the strike, which. Uk miners strike 1972 wikipedia republished wiki 2. Policing and class consciousness in the miners strike by. During the 1960s, however, their pay fell behind other workers, and by 1970 miners were earning 3. After the 198485 strike and the subsequent closure of most of britains coal mines, it became a much smaller union. Britain in the 1970s worst of times, best of times. The national union of mineworkers num is a trade union for coal miners in great britain, formed in 1945 from the miners federation of great britain mfgb. Opposition to the strike was led by the british government of prime minister margaret thatcher, who called scargill the. Miners strikes 20th and 21st centuries scotlands history. Timeline of uk miners strike of 198485 0 london following is a chronology of events in britains miners strike, the longest major labor dispute in the nations history. How does literature reflect the 1984 miners strike. The 1984 miners strike was a last attempt by the mining unions to stop mining closures and the loss of jobs. In the early 1970s britain was swept by a wave of militant industrial struggle, the.
The strike began on 9 january 1972 and ended on 28 february 1972, when the miners returned. The miners strike by metcalf, mark, harvey, mark, jenkinson, martin isbn. Dm was mainly a sahm and i was the eldest of 5 dcs. See more ideas about coal mining, billy elliot and history. But after struggling with terrible poverty in 1970s scotlan. Sep 23, 2019 nurses and gravediggers also participated in the strike because the coal miners also went on strike, a 3 day work week was implemented in london to save on fuel.
Nurses and gravediggers also participated in the strike because the coal miners also went on strike, a 3 day work week was implemented in london to save on fuel. Piles of trash accumulating in the streets in the uk in the 1970s by paul townsend flickr. The present toryliberal coalition is preparing to launch a major attack on british workers. Uk miners strike 1893 south wales miners strike 1910. It began on 9 january 1972 and ended on 28 february 1972, when the miners returned to work. The literary mise en scene of tony harrisons v may be grays elegy but the political background is the miners strike. The uk miners strike of 1969 was an unofficial strike that involved 140 of the 307 collieries owned by the national coal board, including all collieries in the yorkshire area.
The offer is worth more than double the figure on offer under edward heaths government. The miners strike of 198485 was a major industrial action to shut down the british coal industry in an attempt to prevent colliery closures. See more ideas about coal mining, billy elliot and research images. Dec 14, 2010 long before todays quieted labor movement came the turbulent 1970s, with its militant picket lines and industrywide strikes. Apr 16, 2012 historian dominic sandbrook examines why in the popular imagination the 1970s are lampooned and despised as the era of edward heath, the decade of the donkey jacket, and the age of the austin allegro. Decade that dimmed the strikehit seventies telegraph. Miners strike against government coal miners walked out at midnight in their first national strike for almost 50 years. The 1972 uk miners strike was a major strike involving a dispute between the national union of mineworkers num and the conservative edward heath government over pay. This is an account of the great miners strike as it happened in the welsh coalfields. Apr 25, 2019 from the pistols to the miners strike. Feb 02, 2004 the 1984 miners strike was a last attempt by the mining unions to stop mining closures and the loss of jobs. Heath declared a threeday week after a series of miners. How east german communists helped fund 1984 miners strike.
The main threat to british democracy in the 1970s arose from the activities of the political right and the security services. If carried out, this would result in the loss of over 20,000 mining jobs. The strike began on 9 january 1972 and ended on 28 february 1972, when the miners returned to work. Detail from alan hardman cartoon over 27 million working days were lost in strike action in 1984 mainly among miners. It was led by arthur scargill of the national union of mineworkers num against the national coal board, a government agency. The son of a communist miner, he has kept its memory alive at the shirebrook miners welfare social club, founded in 1920.
Miners were at the forefront of the rankandfile struggles of the 1970sand what they sought to defend in that strike are those things that we must recapture today. During the miners strike, thatchers secret state was the real enemy. It was led by arthur scargill of the national union of mineworkers num against the national coal board ncb, a government agency. British coal workers have called off a fourweek strike following a 35% pay offer from the new labour government in what is being seen as a resounding victory for the miners. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It was a defining moment in british industrial relations, and its defeat significantly weakened the british trade union movement. History shows that the british workers have always responded to such attacks with militant class struggle. A decade after the strike, i called the book i wrote about that secret. This article was written to mark the 25th anniversary of the end of the great miners strike and emerged from discussions between the author, mike simons, and chris harman, just before the latters trip to egypt. In the 1970s most of the uk s electricity was produced by coalburning power stations. Ive got a half decent book entitled across frontiers. Gascoyne, a forceful 59yearold exfaceworker who swears a lot, was the branch secretary of the national union of mineworkers throughout the strike of 198485 and until the pit closed.
The national coal board announced to num that 20 coal mines were going to be shut down. Across frontiers brings to life the fascinating story of the men and women who travelled overseas to speak to workers and raise support for the miners strike. Over 11,300 miners and their supporters were arrested during the dispute and over 5,600 stood trial. The strike was called by the national executive committee of the num and ended when the miners accepted an improved pay offer in a ballot. Googling 1984 miners strike brings up nearly 300 000 links including a detailed wikipedia my dad was a striking miner so we had a year without his wages and obviously not entitled to benefits as on strike. A miner sits under a horden lodge miner s colliery pit banner depicting a colour portrait of harold wilson mp pm prime minister at the annual county durham, england 1974 70s uk homer sykes durham miners coal miners annual gale 1970s uk. Jul 29, 2006 in the britain of the 1970s, power cuts and lengthy blackouts became a fact of life. It draws heavily on an article written by chris harman, for a special edition of international socialism, issue 29, devoted to the theme the class struggle and the. Her government conceded to the threat of a miners strike in 1981, and spent years readying power stations, transport and the police to withstand the strike that began in 1984, and was defeated a year later. Accounts of the miners strike, and its aftermath, as recorded by the whitehaven news.
A day later, one million miners were locked out of their workplace. Booklist miners and miners strikes news from nowhere radical. May 09, 2010 ive got a half decent book entitled across frontiers. Only then, for good or ill, was thatcherism entrenched. Uk miners strike of 1972 united kingdom nationwide 1972 uk miners strike of 1974 united kingdom nationwide 1974 uk miners strike of 198485 united kingdom nationwide 198485 waihi miners strike new zealand waihi. In march 1984 more than 187,000 miners came out on.
Timeline of uk miners strike of 198485 upi archives. Three months of negotiations with the national coal board ended in deadlock four days ago with an offer of 7. Jun 16, 2010 the present toryliberal coalition is preparing to launch a major attack on british workers. It was the aftermath of the great war that remained with every miner, docker and steelworker forever. The catalyst for the 1984 miners strike took place on the 6 th of march, 1984. Uk miners strike of 1926 united kingdom nationwide 1926 1926 united kingdom general strike. One such example was the miners strike of 1972, a rock solid strike that shook the tory government and prepared its eventual downfall two years later in 1974. Unaccountable elements in the security services and military intelligence created covert operations such as clockwork orange, which smeared left wing figures in northern ireland and britain, as well as providing protestant paramilitaries with the names and. During the miners strike of 198485 the late ewan maccoll composed and sung a ballad entitled. The strike became a symbolic struggle, as the national union of. Fanzines of the anarchopunk era 19761984 hosted by dizzy ink and nottingham contemporary and notts zine library. In march 1984 more than 187,000 miners came out on strike when the national coal board. How the miners strike of 198485 changed britain for ever.
It was the secret services of the british state operating inside the num itself. Why does the 1970s get painted as such a bad decade. The following is a list of specific strikes workers refusing to work in an attempt to change their conditions in a particular industry or an individual workplace, or in solidarity with those in another particular workplace and general strikes widespread refusal of workers to work in an organized political campaign on a broader national or international level. Long before todays quieted labor movement came the turbulent 1970s, with its militant picket lines and industrywide strikes. The 1972 miners strike was noticeable as it was the first time since 1926 that british miners had been on strike.
The first wave of miners strikes between 1972 and 1974 was held against mounting economic and unemployment problems. The miners used to get coal as part of their benefits so once on strike they not only had no money coming in but no fuel to heat their houses most of the houses in the village only had coal fired heating why would you get gas if you got coal for practically free. The miners strike 1984 was one of the longest and most brutal in british labour history. The 198485 miners strike was a momentous episode in the political history of the uk and the industrial history of the western world. Badge dating from the strike, caricaturing thatcher.
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