10 facts about the miners' strike

The pit closures the miners had fought so hard to prevent began in earnest. NUM President Arthur Scargill called a nationwide strike but controversially did not hold a national ballot, so not all miners supported the strike. Striking miners lined the streets leading to pits in an attempt to stop their colleagues from going to work and, as tensions rose, a 24-year-old picket from Wakefield, David Jones, died hours after being hit by a brick in the Nottinghamshire town of Ollerton. Desperate to preserve their jobs and communities, which often depended entirely on the local pit, the Yorkshire miners walked out, as did their Scottish counterparts. Number of Workers Involved: 250,000. The police launched a mounted truncheon charge against the protesters, with 51 strikers and 72 officers being injured. Although it was Miners' Federation policy to fully co-operate until the end of the war, coal output declined steadily from 12 million tons in 1942, to 11 million in 1943, 11 million in 1944, and just over 10 million tons in 1945. Pullman Strike, (May 11, 1894-c. July 20, 1894), in U.S. history, widespread railroad strike and boycott that severely disrupted rail traffic in the Midwest of the United States in June-July 1894. Luckily, there are now a variety [], The weather in the UK is far from predictable and it is not uncommon for blistering sunshine to be swapped out for single digit temperatures overnight. She studied chemistry at university and then she became a barrister, passing the bar exam in 1953. "We sat for hours talking about it when we got home, but I'd rather have him at home with me than six feet under, so we had to do what we had to do.". From Thatcher's election in 1979 to the start of the miners' strike, 1,600 jobs were lost every week in Britain with hardly a squeak of resistance from some union leaders. Over 100,000 coal miners had been on strike since the spring, and production was at a standstill. This would lead to bitter tussles between miners who carried on working throughout the strike and pickets who were quick to label strikebreakers scabs. The country's last deep coal mine, Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire, shut in 2015. All unions were also required to register with the government to retain their rights legally. After all, coal mining plays a big role in the American economy and there are over 800 active mines that are [], The process of coalification takes around 350 million years to complete, however the mining of coal at different points of its development has led to the categorisation of at least four different types of coal known as peat, lignite, bituminous and anthracite. Who was in power for the 1972 UK Miners' Strike? 4 Picture of 1984 Miners Strike (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miners_strike_rally_London_1984.jpg) by Nick (https://www.flickr.com/people/34517490@N00) licensed by CC BY 2.0 ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en), Fig. 1. Edward Heath introduced the 1971 Industrial Relations Act which introduced a legal framework for how Trade Unions operated and controlled how miners' wages could change. This is mainly because disputes in this group tend to be large. Miners had known for some time that a titanic struggle on the future of their industry was looming. The closure of the mines was considered a necessary evil to save a failing economy. the 1974 strike was a result of a similar dispute over wage increases and coordinated with the 1973 Oil Crisis. Interestingly, they get paid for the two hours before their work fully starts. Ian McGregor was appointed in 1981 to de-nationalise the coal industry. Railway Road, Marple At first, this was not a problem as local union branches had deep pockets and could pay miners at least some of money they were no longer receiving from the NCB. Mrs Woodhead and her family gave up "luxuries" like television and heating because they couldn't afford them, and relied on donations from solidarity movements in the USSR and Poland for Christmas presents for their children that year. From removing [], Now were coming out of winter and into much warmer months, you may be wondering what to do with your home stove now that it isnt getting much use. Arthur Scargill, who had taken the president position of the NUM in 1982, saw the appointment as a threat to the coal industry following the methods MacGregor used for the steel industry. Of the 31 Notts branches, not a single one had a majority in favour of strike action. After subsequent government cuts, the mining community began to protest their treatment throughout the 1970s. Here, historian Dominic Sandbrook revisits the longest and most acrimonious industrial dispute in Britains modern history: the miners strike of 198485. js photo studios. In fact, the strike is considered the longest industrial dispute regarding mining closures to this day and has paved the way for a more efficient mining industry. Their tenure in the area was marked by peaceful protection of non-union workers and chaperoning parades of picketers. On 6th March 1984, the NCB planned to reduce Britain's coal production by 4 million tonnes and put around 20,000 mining jobs at risk. Chess gets a risqu makeover. Updated 04:49, 29 MAR 2013. The miners strike of 1984-85 was the longest and most acrimonious industrial dispute in Britains modern history. The industry relied heavily on government subsidies. Why did the miners go on strike? But the public vote went against him resulting in victory for the Labour Party. The 1980 Social Security Act had reduced the benefits that striking miners' families received. Posted on . December 1973: Due to a severe lack of fuel, Edward Heath announced that most commercial and industrial establishments could only use electricity three days a week. Mines were the beating hearts of communities stretching from Scotland to Kent. After all, affordability and efficiency can be incredibly convincing! What fuel do I want to burn? As far as he was concerned, there was no such thing as an unprofitable pit, and he saw McGregors proposed closures as a way for Thatcher to weaken the NUM, close down far more pits than McGregor was claiming and lead the way to privatisation. The miners asked for 20-percent wage increases, and most were given a 10-percent increase. This had worked spectacularly well in the 1970s, but this time around McGregor and Thatcher were ready for the miners. In the 1970s, the NUM and NCB negotiated miners' treatment. A change in the law meant that the dependents of miners were not entitled to benefits, as they had been during the strikes of the 1970s. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Thatcher appointed the ruthless Ian McGregor to the head of the National Coal Board in 1983. After coming to power in 1979, she had her ministers and civil servants draw up secret plans that would keep coal moving around the country were the miners to attempt another strike. [Google Scholar], History on our Side: Wales and the 1984-85 Miners' Strike; Bruley Bruley, Sue. Whatever people thought of the issues at stake, millions were appalled by the scenes of open fighting between pickets and police, which became emblematic of the conflicted, confrontational 1980s. Strikebreakers living in areas with a heavy sense of community often found themselves ostracised. But the signs had been there for some time. You can listen to a podcast interview with Dominic about the early 1980s here, Dominic Sandbrook is historian and presenter, and a regular contributor to BBC History Magazine, Save up 50% when you subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed PLUS! Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. Gold was first discovered in California by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill near the city of Coloma. Read [], The UK first discovered coal around 1575 when Sir George Bruce opened the first coal mine, however it wasnt until the mid-16th century that the use and production of coal expanded rapidly. In fact, firewood is considered the oldest fuel on the market because it was readily [], Although many properties in the UK still have a traditional open fireplace, many homeowners are choosing to opt for a stove appliance. When negotiations failed, Gormley called for the 1972 UK Miners' Strike. Furthermore, police officers were drafted in from outside the striking counties, so law enforcement was unsympathetic to the strikers. Eight deaths were attributed to the strike, including picketers, workers, and a taxi driver. Nearly one million coal miners went on strike in Great Britain. The 1972 strike was a result of Edward Heath refusing to allow the 43% wage increase the NUM was demanding. The strike was led by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) against the National Coal Board. The fact that he had not called for a national ballot first would soon come back to haunt him. The process of reducing the amount of moisture in firewood is known as seasoning and it certainly isnt the same as what we put in our food! The Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 resulted in a victory for the hard-coal miners with a 10% increase in wages and an hours reduction in their working day. When another miners' strike began in 1974, Mr Heath called a snap general election hoping to rally public support against the miners. The miners and their families had endured months of hardship. History on our Side: Wales and the 1984-85 Miners' Strike, Ferry Side: Iconau. The Public Administration sector, Education sector and the Transport, Storage, Information and Communication sector have seen the most working days lost to strikes per 1,000 employees since 2006. By 2017, only about 1,000 people were working in an industry which, at its height, employed more than a million people, according to government statistics. It was led by Arthur Scargill of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) against the National Coal Board (NCB), a government agency. There were rumours that the new Coal Board chairman, Ian MacGregor, wanted to close an additional 70. Logically, coal mining had to go. Copper Strike 1913-14. October 1973: The global oil crisis began - Arab oil-producing countries placed an oil embargo (legal ban on trade) on the United States. However, miners soon faced difficulties: By the end of the 1960s, an unofficial miners' strike in 1969 protested against the unfair working hours of older miners and wage decreases. She immediately jumped in the car to stop her husband David crossing the picket line, fearing for his life. The conflicts witnessed between police and picketers were very different from the 1972 and 1974 strikes. Overtime, they will cool [], Here at Pearson Fuels, we strive to provide our customers with the very best fuel for their burning requirements and that is why we work closely with our suppliers in order to ensure that we source the most high-quality coal and firewood. How Thatcher broke the miners' strike but at what cost? Although the strike was over, the scars never went away. But as the dispute went on, she became ever more outspoken, even describing the miners leaders as Britains enemy within. The General Strike 1926. Many of the mining communities that were once reliant on the collieries for their livelihoods were affected by the closure of the mines, and have since adapted to a new way of living. At times, that strike - lasting from 5 March 1984 to 3 March 1985 - almost seemed to be a battle of wills between the Barnsley-born leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Arthur . The first selective strike in the history of the UMWA occurred in 1978 after a 110-day long coal strike. The miner went on strike in 1984 in an attempt to prevent colliery closures. Therefore, in 1984, miners were not being paid, and their families were the only ones suffering from the strikes. When she handed them back washed and cleaned, she says some of the wives of those who were still working threw them in the bin. Miners left their pits to fight the attempt of the Thatcher government to close the collieries, break the miners' union and the labour movement in general, and open the way to a free market economy in which deregulated financial capitalism would be set free by the Big Bang of 1986. On the one hand, the government, along with the National Coal Board, were increasingly aware of the growing costs of the mines, along with the fall in demand. Just 7,285 had voted to strike. The defeated miners returned to work and the pit closures would go ahead. Many miners suspect the South Yorkshire police operation at Orgreave in June 1984 was a trap, pre-planned for confrontation, co-ordinated for the courts. After all, more and more households are choosing to invest in a stove in order to safely burn their chosen fuel for a competitively affordable price. From a purely economic point of view, it can be argued that it was. ", Two miners from opposite sides meet for the first time since the strike. "Some people haven't spoken to each other since it started," she says. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? The strike ended just under a year later on the 3rd of March 1985 after the decision to return to work was made when union money to feed the families of those protesting began to run out. and demonstrated his inability to recognise the country's troubles. With this said, it is important that customers invest in logs that have been seasoned in order [], It is important that homeowners understand why chimney sweeping is an essential component in the burning of carbon-based fuels like coal and firewood. One of Thatcher's key aims was to limit the role of government so that Britons changed from "dependent" to "self-reliant". After all, traditional house coal, such as bituminous coals, are often more beneficial than firewood for some properties. Since 1945, the need for British coal mining decreased due to the importation of coal, other sources of energy such as oil and natural gas, and changes to pollution legislation. Around 5,000 picketers matched 5,000 police officers at a British Steel Corporation coking plant in Orgreave, Yorkshire. The NUM members put on a brave face, many marching back . Download the Pearson Fuels App for iOS & Android Devices. Facilities once maintained by the NCB fell into a state of disrepair and several local businesses closed their doors. Since Scargill had been so public about his enthusiasm for confrontation, ministers had been building up coal stocks for years. To find out more information, get in contact with the best coal merchants on the market and speak to a member of the team today. Over the previous decades, mining costs had been on the rise while the demand for coal had started to fall. High levels of poverty in the region forces . Some commentators worried that she was using the police as a paramilitary wing of the state. Life for the residents of Grimethorpe got worse following the closure. The Coal miners' strike of 1873, was a strike against wage cuts in the Mahoning, Shenango, and Tuscarawas Valleys of northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania. In 1980, Secretary of State of Industry Sir Keith Joseph appointed a Scottish-American economist Ian MacGregor as head of the nationalised steel industry, British Steel. In this case, plant matter sunk to the very bottom of swamplands where is was deprived of oxygen and subjected to intense heat and pressure. [CDATA[// >